


Sentinel Bound

by ainamclane



Series: Little Black Dress RT Challenge [17]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Hawkeye (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M, Sentinel/Guide Bonding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 21:39:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 51,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6394843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ainamclane/pseuds/ainamclane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint came online as a Sentinel when he was still young. That and Phil's "death" threw him for a loop. Add them rebuilding Shield and figuring the whole GH325 out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> THIS IS UNFINISHED.  
> I consider it Evil Author's Day. I've been working on this since May 2014 but can't seem to finish this. Anyone willing to help, please please contact me at ainamclane gmail.com I could need help.
> 
> Please leave your honest opinion and Kudos as thanks. I really want to know your opinions.
> 
> yes, i plan on finishing this but i don't know when. hence the need for help. 
> 
> It is part of the Sentinel-Guide Challenge but won't be the only one in the marvel universe.

Watched like a hawk, shielded like a pack

~*~Present

Clint took a deep breath and focused on staying still up here at the rooftop. He tried to focus on the ground underneath, pebble on clay tile and moss, the wind on his skin with the warmth of the sun, the sounds of the city loud and clear nearly drowning out the birds and the buzzing of bees. The smell was strong, tangy, metallic and sweet from flowers along the building’s wall.

A clang made his heart speed up and his hearing focused on the door that had made the sound behind him right away. He had passed that door not too long ago and hoped they wouldn’t follow him all the way. Hoped they had lost his trail.

Phil would know what to do now. Clint’s heart clenched painfully and he took a steadying breath. He needed to concentrate. He always used memories to bring his focus around and this time it was dire. He could feel his senses slipping.

This time his mediation brought him to his past. He had learned that whenever he had difficulties focusing or meditating that his best bet was remembering the past and certain events. After all it had been years since Clint had come online in the midst of the circus while balancing on a rope underneath the roof and the audience being transfixed by him, which in turn lead him here. The quick ability to adapt and focus had saved his ass. He hoped that his meditation would save him yet again.

~*~Past – twenty-three years ago

His senses started screaming at him, the noise overwhelmingly loud, the elephants trumpeting and tigers roaring, stomping and the jitter of hundred heartbeats. Hay, sweat, musk and the smells too bitter and sharp for his nose and taste. His eyes were capturing every fine fiber of candy cottons feet’s below, light so bright it hurt like a knife in his skull, the pores of every person down below in the audience and the grains of sand everywhere. Pain from the fiber of the steel underneath his bare feet, with its splinters edging into his skin and the wood digging into his palm where he held his bow, tickling where the feathers touched his skin in his other hand.

The only reason why Clint hadn’t fallen down was his balance evening up suddenly so strong that he felt like he could balance on his big toe if his muscles were up for it. Which, they felt like they were. Clint’s focus and training in shooting arrows helped, the breathing patterns and the mental headspace he had to train for years were helping him now. He continued his performance, feeling his muscles jump and start up again. Adrenaline flooding him like it hasn’t since he used to balance on a bridge railing when he had been a kid.

Nonetheless, climbing down form the rope after his performance, his knees were shaking weakly and his senses threatened to overwhelm him again. He ran and hid out in the small town’s forest until he didn’t hurt anymore. The way back was slowly because he had to stop to listen to heartbeats of animals and conversations behind hidden doors. He had to stop to touch fences, cars and plants, their texture different now. The smells of food and decay, of fresh water and earth. It felt like learning all those things again.

His sight had probably stayed the same mostly. It was as if he had always been able to see that far but just hadn’t noticed before.

Returning to the showers, he was glad no one else was around anymore and went back to bed after the warm water had stopped coming.

Later, Clint was reading up on his abilities that he gained control over and closed the book he had had stolen from a library three towns over. Frowning, Clint shook his head and calculated. That guy who had written the book had a person with those abilities. He had nearly included a how-to manual and Clint was positive he would be able to accomplish those tasks on his own. 

Asking more than the Swordsman to train him helped. They were a fairly big circus with a few soldiers around and two ‘other’ Asians. One guy was a Ving-Tsun master and another had the title Samurai, though he rarely used this as his show act since Duquesne was there. The Samurai was one of the last on earth that took the title seriously even in the West whereas many others found those titles only suited for sports. If Duquesne ever found out Clint was also being trained by another, it could end badly.

Clint found that after coming online, he learned those patterns and movements much faster and adapted them quickly. He would seriously need them, he thought though he only did the sport to stay occupied and use the mediation those two martial arts used. He found himself imagining sitting on a hill in high grass or wheat that swayed in time with the wind -his breathing- to be his best relaxing mental state though he never lost control of his surroundings, always knowing when someone was close by and he drew himself out of his meditation before anyone could see what he was up to. Stretching his legs usually convinced people of the question why he was sitting on the floor.

Often enough, a Hawk accompanied him through his mental journeys and he thought he even sometimes saw the Hawk with him on bright daylight but found it ridiculous that his spirit animal should be able to travel with him into the normal world and passed it off as a random hawk looking like his spirit animal.

Only once did he see a teen, much older than himself, in the audience looking at his Hawk. Clint frowned and shrugged it off, really believing the kid just looked at the roof of the tent with its star design.

The final straw came when Clint was coming down with a fever, taking an aspirin and reacting badly to the meds that he had taken and barely staying up on his feet when he walked in on Swordsman taking money. He would never ever make that mistake again of taking any medicine and being beaten half to death.

* Past - thirteen years ago

Clint opened his eyes and took a deep breath. He checked his watch and found that it was nearly time for his mark to appear. His brother and Trick were closing in on their mark and were waiting for him to make a shot at the man and to cover them. 

Steps behind him made Clint turn around, staring at a man in shock. His bow was at the ready, arrow pointing straight for the man’s chest. The barrel of the other’s gun staring right back at Clint. How did he manage to come so close to Clint without him hearing him? Was it because the heavy rain that had set in just a few minutes ago? Clint had focused on the ticking of his watch as well not to lose track of time but not hearing footfall on those creaky steps leading up to where he was perched?

“Mr Barton, I’d advice you not to draw your bow at me.” The man said easily and Clint cursed because the heartbeat of the man, the voice, his muscle movement were seeping right through him, making him feel calm, comfortable and at home like nothing ever had. Not since his childhood, not even being with Barney. The next thing confused Clint, not even his brother had noticed anything yet: “You need to better wind down and relax between shots. You’re too tense.”

Clint looked at the older man with a frown: “And why should I listen to you?”

The man nodded: “I’ve got a job for you. Not shooting at people and trying to get by after you got falsely accused.“

“I see you’ve done your homework.” Clint shrugged and checked the time though he had kept counting the ticking since the man appeared and chatted with him. Barney and Trick were nowhere to be heard and Clint always had troubles with his hearing the most: “What did you do to the others?”

“Others?” the man asked confused: “We were wondering if you were doing this op alone since we didn’t find any trace of either your brother or Trick.”

Realizing the man didn’t lie to him, he started to trust him a little bit. In all those years, Barney and Trick had lied, the skip and speeding up in their hearts being the big tell. The Swordsman had lied. This man, had not. Yet. Clint had the feeling that maybe he never would.

Clint remembered a rage passing through him then once he realized his brother had left him and he must have adjusted is bow because the next thing he knew was he was shot and incredible pain, overbearing pain and then, nothing.

~*~Present

He frowned at the irony in his second memory. It was normal for him to dive deep into a time when he had tried meditating on the job and to analyze his thoughts he had had to go a step deeper. He mused that Inception-writer he had stolen the script from years ago must have been right. It was possible to go down another level. Sadly, SHIELD had tried to invent the device but failed which would have made Clint’s job that much easier. The movie had rocked though.

Clint heard more steps coming after him and he winced when he tore his muscles completely while hurrying along. The hole in his thigh was a through and through but it still hurt. Adrenaline flooding his system kept him from bleeding too much.

Another shot fell and Clint had been pretty sure he had been around a corner, tucked away from his attackers but another bullet in his chest definitely proved him wrong. And wow, he had never been so wrong before in his life. Only bullets that could travel through solid walls were enough to get him from through the wall and they could only shoot him if they used thermal cameras. Sometimes his luck just failed him.

He got his last guns out and checked the round through, shooting in a rough direction where he had detected footsteps. Those guys weren’t his mission but if they chose to shoot him through walls, they were seriously pissed.

Feeling dizzy, Clint pushed away from his cover, taking out the few men that were close enough before sprinting and jumping away to another rooftop. Thank god his adrenaline response was high enough and in a circus had taught him how to perform even injured. He made the jump to the next roof, no cover in sight and he cursed his luck yet again. 

A few steps in, he stumbled and fell, not enough strength to push up again.

*

“Agent Hill,” someone caught her attention and Maria turned to look at the tech-guy: “Did we get the signal?”

“Right below us, Ma’am.” The tech replied and Maria turned to Fury: “Director,”

“I’ll get him out. Stand by with medical.” He moved to the hatch and quickly shot three times before the hatch even opened completely: “Hawkeye?” he called out but got only a slight twitch of the archer: “Get trauma in here!” he jumped off the hatch and onto the ground, checking their archer over: “Damn it Barton!” he muttered and lifted the smaller man easily. The archer weighted nearly nothing. Not an inch fat too much on that muscular body.

The trauma team took him right off him and they were in the air again. Maria stepped up next to him: “Three bullet wounds. They try to patch him up now. We’re lucky we brought this many of his blood transfusions with us.”

“After the battle of New York, its not surprising.”

Maria frowned then when Hawkeye whimpered under the doctors’ care because apparently him being passed out required not giving him pain meds. She stepped closer the same time Fury did.

“Phil! I’m sorry… hurts. Love you.” Clint had mumbled and not one of the doctors seemed to have registered those words.

“Aw hell no.” Fury said and indicated Clint’s chest to Maria: “Seen that before?”

The bullet wound was particular close to the heart that it was amazing Clint lived at all. Maria focused on the black letters next then. A small and not really distinctive tattoo, unless you’ve seen it before. Across the heart, the same as the matching “CC” that had been on another chest, torn apart inches from Clint’s wounds: “Coulson has the same.”

“Get me Agent May on the line.”

“Sir, they’re still trying to find Ward and Hydra. I’ll try my best. What should I ask her?”

“About whether Phil remembers having pretty much married that kid.”

Hill looked down again and cursed: “We messed up if they did. But why didn’t anyone of the Avengers or Romanoff tell us?”

“They probably didn’t know about it.” Nick said and adjusted his sunglasses: “How far out are we from FitzSimmons?”

“Three hours and thirty minutes, sir. The only problem is, it’s surrounded by miles of water between Cuba and Miami.” A tech answered while Maria stepped aside to try to get a line to May.

Nick turned to watch the trauma surgeons working on Clint now. He cursed the timing and that they nearly had forgotten they had agents deep undercover who didn’t get the chance to watch TV and realize the fall of SHIELD had happened. It nearly had cost them Clint of all people. 

*

Phil looked up to May when her phone rang and she shrugged: “Agent Hill,” she replied.

Coulson nodded and went back into the reclaimed bus. He felt dusty and old. The last fight over, Garrett blasted into nirvana and it was hurtful that someone he had accepted and was a good agent to some degree had misused SHIELD. Thank God Phil didn’t trust people lightly.

He quickly unbuttoned his shirt, changing it for a clean one when his gaze fell to the black tattoo, the two C’s on his chest. He had no idea what they meant. Flashes of what appeared to be a memory crept in. He placed a finger over his second C and frowned. He remembered someone with him, male, younger than him, blue eyes and as many scars on his body as he had. 

Project Tahiti stole memories from him, changed him but he knew without a doubt in his soul that that man was special to him. He didn’t remember the name though and working through the data of pictures of every agent at SHIELD took its time. He didn’t talk to May because she had betrayed him before and reported to Fury. They didn’t include the memories of that man and either that was because they didn’t know about him or because they didn’t want him to remember for certain reasons.

Melinda’s eyes snapped to Coulson after a few seconds and she nodded: “I didn’t know. Bring in Barton immediately and we’ll see what Phil remembers.”

Phil’s eyes fluttered shut. That name was like a tidal wave that brought memories with it. That man. A name to go with the face in his memory. Agent Barton. Phil tried to focus more of that man’s face but his memory was clouded. He remembered a black uniform, an arrow and a bow, which made no sense to Phil right now. One thing he knew for certain, he would claim his memory back.

Melinda stepped closer to Phil, who was still not fully dressed and pushed the hand away: “It’s here, Maria. Tell the Director that Coulson has the double C tattooed.”

Melinda waited and nodded while looking at Phil’s eyes: “From what I can tell, it’s a match.”

A brief memory of holding another man’s hand tight in his while the tattoo was etched into the skin. 

Damn, Phil felt like there was so much more to this man. Probably a lot of the last ten years or more that were missing from his memory. In the corner, the wolf curled up and whined in pain.

*

Natasha walked away from Steve. She had to get Clint out of his op. It would be tricky to find him at all since Fury and Hill had organized the op themselves and after Coulson’s death, no one else wanted to work with Hawkeye, no one else got through Clint’s head and his grief. Natasha knew that no one of the Agents or Avengers had caught on but she had seen Clint’s chest after he had been released from Loki’s mind control. 

It hurt her to see the same tattoo over Phil’s chest, bloody and a hole in it right next to his heart, black letters across the heart, matching Clint’s. She had known about their relationship for a while but she had never imagined that they were committed like this.

Clint’s downfall was long and hard. He barely had gotten his senses under control and Natasha had tried everything in her power to ground him as much as possible but without Phil’s scent on Clint’s cloths on an op, without Phil’s voice to distract him from his sight, without Phil’s touch, Clint was lost in zone outs. Not too often but more so than ever. Never before had she realized how much Clint really depended on Phil.

“Natasha,” she was called and surprised, she turned around: “Tony.” She had of course heard a car approaching but this was a graveyard so there were people around at certain moments. Still, she hadn’t expected the man personally down here.

“I know Barton is out there.” He said and she was even more surprised that he was there next to her without his suit. Apparently blowing up all of his Iron Man Suits had helped him getting better though he looked pained after he had that surgery.

Natasha nodded and indicated his car, which they started walking towards: “Somewhere in Syria.”

Tony grimaced: “Steve?”

Natasha smiled faintly: “He needs to find Bucky. I understand that. Clint is my best friend and I’ll do the same for him.”

Tony nodded sharply and they got into his car: “I hope he knows he can always call us?”

Natasha looks at him: “Yes. I’m sure he does. But asking for help with your best friend is not Captain America’s strongest ability. Where’s Bruce?”

“Working on something very interesting for me.” He switched on a silencer to keep outside ears from listening in: “Agent Coulson is not dead.”

Natasha whirled around surprised. There wasn’t much that could surprise her this severe but Coulson alive? Damn she needed to get to Clint yesterday: “Who is behind this?”

Tony smirked at her knowing she was upset but she didn’t care: “Fury had a project with an experimental drug that could maybe bring back the dead or at least heal people quickly. I happened to steal some without them knowing and I am currently analyzing it. I found records from you uploading all files to the net that Coulson was revived and experimented on. Apparently those months were the toughest because they used a memory swipe on him to rid him off those moments. Apparently he begged to be killed again.”

Natasha felt bile rising in her throat. There wasn’t much that could do that but she knew how much it would take Phil to beg for death. He had withstood torture so gruesome people wondered how he was still functioning. Even she barely had that much stamina and for Coulson to crumble like that-

“That drug, any known side effects?”

Stark looked at her long and meaningful, aware that Jarvis was taking over the wheel should anything happen: “Nothing in those first few months. They placed an Agent on his new team to keep an eye on.”

“New team!?” Natasha was angry now: “How could they-“ she cut herself of, knowing she was much more expressional that normal but she had known Phil for six years now.

“Maybe because you’re on our team now?” Tony asked. “And maybe this was so top secret?”

With a frown, she turned to look out the passenger window: “Thor?”

“Is with Bruce at the Avenger’s Tower. Jane and Darcy help with the research because what I dug up is rather disturbing.”

In front of Natasha, the screen showed an alien that was being dissected and a serum analyzed before given to Coulson. That bile from earlier? Was back in her throat.

“What does Thor say?”

“We were surprised that he knew the species and told us the Asgardian’s did similar. The healing ability of those creatures are commonly known and used. The only problem is the long term effect on humans is not known.”

Jarvis piped up then: “I followed Director Fury and Maria Hill, Sir. They picked up Agent Barton. He is undergoing surgery as well as another passenger they picked up, Agent Leo Fitz. He is one of Agent Coulson’s new team.”

“I shouldn’t give Ms Hill a day off anytime soon if she’s crawling back to her boss.” Tony smirked but he liked her and she was rather badass.

Natasha focused: “Details on Barton?”

“Three bullet wounds. Two in the chest, one rather close to the heart, one perforating the appendix and one through his thigh.” Jarvis replied: “They repaired the appendix issue a few minutes ago, second to the heart and lung. Estimations on his survival are five to fifteen percent.”

Natasha winced. She thought everything she knew over for a moment before sitting up straight: “That serum!”

“What?! Didn’t you hear what I told you about where its coming from and no known information? Not to mention, Barton is a Sentinel and it could mess with things.” Tony argued but Natasha was already dialing her phone: “Bruce? Please run some tests on Clint’s blood with that GH325. I know that if Phil is still alive and it messes with life expectancy or anything, he wouldn’t want this but I know Clint. Run the tests please. We’ll figure out where they’re headed to rendezvous with them.”

~*~ Past – twenty-three years ago

Phil was looking down at his younger siblings and wondered again why he had to be here. He was the oldest, yes. Barely nineteen and all his siblings were way younger. Thomas was fifteen now, John would be turning thirteen soon while Mary was eleven. And Phil was the lucky one to drag them to the circus.

He had purchased their tickets already and was brushing some hay from his shirt because this was not his place to be. Thomas came walking towards him, fighting with Mary over her candy cotton while John looked at some of his friends from school but didn’t walk over to engage. He looked at Phil with a shrug: “I’ll be inside.”

“Save us some seats,” Phil replied with a nod and looked around for Thomas who was heading into the direction of the cages where a few animals were behind bars. Phil sighed. He hated the smell here and it sucked to be the one having to babysit his siblings. 

“Ain’t that Phil?” someone behind him said and Phil winced. He didn’t turn around but found a reflection of a glass window to see them coming up behind him. 

“That’s him! Hey freak! Where’s your friends?” one started laughing: “Probably wearing Captain America pants!” another replied and they started cracking up.

Yeah, exactly why Phil didn’t want to come here with his siblings on leave. He was due back with special ops soon and he was still surprised that they wanted him for black ops before he had even gone overseas.

Maybe that had to do with his incredible ability to make things up from scratch like their psych evaluation where they had to pick their choice of weapon and Phil had chosen the paperclip. When asked why, he had explained that it was small enough to keep hidden in a strip search, could help him remove handcuffs and was strong enough to puncture the skin on special parts like the arteries.

At that time, he had thought it wise to reply this but now, maybe not so much. He was drawn from his thoughts when someone laughed: “He’s a nerdy accountant. What does he know?”

Phil winced because yeah, that conversation about joining the Army had gone over well with the parents and they had decided on telling everyone he was away on a coast to become an accountant to some top shot firm. Sometimes Phil believed his family took that as the truth and forgot all about his real work.

Mary and Thomas came back with popcorn and enough drinks for all of them. They found John sitting at the sidelines with the best view and assembled around him.

Phil doesn’t remember much about the whole show, too focused on going away again soon but what stuck with him was the beautiful Hawk perched on one of the ropes under the roof that apparently no one paid attention to. He looked at the rope artist that was doing a few moves and saw the kid really, looking down. He frowned because that kid was barely older than John or Mary.

He loved the Hawk and watched it until it left with his obvious owner.

~*~ Past – eleven years ago

“Your abilities need to stabilize more.” Agent Coulson said: “We’ll have to train you with them in mind.”

Clint nodded: “Have you talked to the author of the book?”

Phil grinned: “Better. I asked both, the Sentinel and his Guide to come in.”

“That Guide concept; how does that work?” Barton asked. He adjusted his grip on his bow and took his arrows. The shooting range was top of the notch and Clint was working to be back in the field after his latest injuries pulling a job.

“I’ll be your Guide. You simply need to focus on me while in the field so that I can pull you out of a zone. What happened on the last mission is unacceptable.”

Clint nodded: “Yes, I know, Sir. It wasn’t my intention to cause harm. It never happened before and I actually never liked to brag about those abilities.”

Phil nodded: “Understood.”

* Past – five years ago

They had worked hard and Clint always knew now where people within SHIELD were and he had to sign thousand forms of security and confidential agreements until his hand ached. He could only use the knowledge gained from his abilities it in dire situations or when it was helpful. Of course, Clint couldn’t walk around all day and focus his whole hearing on the hundred something Agents working in the building; that would be impossible.

He also kept in contact with Blair and Jim whom he had met with Coulson for information on pain medication and other stuff that could get him into trouble. Not that Clint didn’t have his fair share of incidents throughout the years with his taste buds, smell or rash skin to know what to avoid. That’s why he preferred his leather pants.

“Blair said I should bond with you mentally eventually, Sir.” Clint said to Coulson after a few years. They had gained Natasha and she was clueless as of yet but Clint wanted to bring her in on this completely soon. First she had to become a full member of SHIELD though.

Coulson looked startled and frowned: “And what exactly does that mean, Agent Barton?” Clint didn’t flinch but he could hear Coulson’s displeasure, the skip in his heart and his mental repulsion to that thought.

Clint didn’t answer but turned on the spot and walked out. 

It had taken Natasha three weeks to find him.

~*~ Present

Bruce hung up and looked around the few working here. He sighed: “Jarvis, you heard Agent Romanoff. Get me Barton’s samples.”

He then dialed a phone: “Hey Jemma, I know you work with Coulson now and Stark hacked the database that you did research. I don’t know if you know but Hawkeye is nearly dead and I got a sample which we could give Agent Barton but his genetics are unique and I could need your input since you did research for your Agent Skye.”

Sighing again, Bruce hung up the phone and shrugged at the others with him: “She’s an expert.”

*

Fury glanced at Jemma’s phone and sighed. She would want to know who had called since most SHIELD agents didn’t have that number. Dr Banner calling was rather serious. He walked back to her compression chamber and passed it through the lock: “I thought I give you something to do.”

“Thank you.” She sighed: “How much longer?”

“About an hour. We’ll reach the others half an hour later in New York.” He looked around: “Fitz is fine. He’s stabilized and will be in ICU for the next twenty-four hours until we can get him to Stark.”

“Are we meeting the others there, Sir?”

“No, I have a save place close by that is off grid. Stark’s Tower has the ICU though that will keep him safe and Stark is one of the few that I still trust.” Fury replied and walked back out. 

Jemma checked her phone then and saw the voicemail. She activated it and swallowed hard. She would save Hawkeye’s life on the trust alone that he was an Avenger and Coulson had been an Avenger, was an Avenger himself. She knew the legends of Delta and knew that he worked for Phil only. The rumors had reached far enough into the workings that everyone knew he had gone off grid after Phil’s death though Sitwell had tried to recruit him for his team. Thank god Hawkeye had left.

She dialed back: “Hey Bruce, sorry, I got into the crossfire with Hydra and am in a decompressing chamber right now but I can tell you what to look for and in an hour I’ll send you the data? Good, lets get to work then.”

*


	2. Chapter 2

Phil was waiting with his team for the plane to arrive. He was surprised to see Fury at the location and glad Jemma was with him. After their brief reunion, Agent Hill stepped up to them: “Phil, we have one of your agents.”

Phil frowned for a second and nodded. He knew this was the moment he would meet Agent Barton and he hoped his memory would come back then: “How is he?”

Fury sighed: “Not good, Phil.”

“That’s why we brought a present,” Stark yelled from the sideline and all SHIELD Agents flinched before Natasha smiled: “Oh please. There is no way Hydra would recruit either one of us. We have a Hulk.”

Even Fury had to smile briefly at that and Jemma stepped into their group: “Bruce, did you get the GH325?”

Phil’s eyes widened: “No!”

Bruce turned to look at Phil: “Answer me a few questions, Sir. I know you might not remember much, but it is important.”

Phil narrowed his eyes at Dr Banner and nodded after a short calculation in his head: “Go ahead.”

“Do you remember getting your tattoo?” Phil nodded. “Do you remember seeing a Hawk?”

“Throughout the whole memory sessions and for all the months.” Phil said and Natasha took a deep breath while all others that weren’t Avengers looked puzzled.

“What is your main priority?”

“Protecting his senses.” Phil answered without thinking and then looked up: “What does that even mean?”

Hill stepped in: “Dr Banner, do you mean he remembers protecting Hawkeye and seeing his spirit animal all those months? That would mean they have a mental connection and that this is what broke his memory block?”

“But then Clint would know Phil was alive,” Natasha interjected: “He is devastated and I’m certain he doesn’t know.”

Tony winced loudly: “That could be because he asked me for help.”

Banner nodded: “He came to us and said that the thing with Loki and his mind control, the loss of his Guide was messing with him. He became unstable.”

“Unstable?” Fury asked straight away: “How?”

“We kept the incident under wraps. Hawkeye fought us; he was catatonic, searching for Phil, mentally and physically. It was though. When we sedated him, he asked us to block his mental reach for a while.” Stark replied: “We’re team. We helped him.”

Phil didn’t quite know what it all meant but this didn’t sound good: “Was there no other way to help him out?”

“Sir, if I know what Banner told me to be true, it’s like severing his limbs to have lost you.” Jemma said: “And if its any indication that you see the Hawk, it’s probably close to assume you would go through the same if Agent Barton doesn’t survive.”

A flash of a memory came through to Phil then and he stumbled a bit. Skye was there to catch him and steady him: “AC?”

“I’m not sure. I need to see him. I hope it jump starts my memory.” Phil said and looked at Banner, then at Natasha who was determined. It felt like she would use any means necessary to give Clint that GH325. Skye looked at him and nodded slightly. She thought it worth it over dying.

Fury nodded at Maria and she took Phil with her to the plane and the small ICU they had erected. Banner followed them quietly while the others remained outside. Phil sighed and looked through the ICU windows to where Fitz was before moving on to Barton. Banner and him were fitted with scrubs and then entered.

The vibrant, alive, beautiful man from his dreams looked pale, broken, thin and grey but nonetheless Phil recognized him. He reached out quickly and wrapped his fingers around the other man’s hand.

Seconds later, he got flooded by memories.

~*~ Past – three years ago

“What do you expect me to do?” Phil asked seriously and looked at Barton, sitting across from him: “Whatever that mental connection entitles, I’m not sure it’s a good idea. Why change things when they’re working?”

Clint frowned and focused on his hands: “My mental abilities are better than anyone else’s. You know I can feel emotions and strong thoughts. Sometimes its like a nerve that is blank, the stress, the dying of people…You would be my shield.”

Phil looked at Clint with surprise: “I…what?”

Clint smiled carefully: “Let me try something for a second, ok?” Clint took Phil’s hand and explained: “I’ll try to give you an impression what it feels like for me, okay? I won’t take any of your emotions because I know you don’t want me to and usually you’re calm enough for me to use you as an anchor. I’ll give you an impression on what this building feels like for me.”

Phil nodded. He trusted Clint to have his back, he surely trusted him not to hurt him in the slightest. A second later a whole fucking wave of emotion crashed into him. Anger, hurt, happiness, cheerfulness, love, angst, anxiety, calmness, panic. It was strange to feel all this and on top of each other.

He thought it couldn’t hurt much more when Clint’s control slipped and it increased before Clint withdrew his hands quickly: “Oh god, Phil, I’m sorry!”

Phil took a deep breath: “I’m good.” He said and looked at Clint: “You never said anything before. We’re working together for seven years now.”

“It’s lately that I’m more unstable. The more people in this building, after that long…it’s not enough anymore. I’m sorry.” Clint said: “The other option would be trying to find a sedative or mental blocker that I could ask for.”

Phil didn’t even have to think about the answer: “What do I have to do?”

*

They settled down in Clint’s apartment far away from the SHIELD offices in New York. The meditation works had been practiced for weeks now and Clint settled cross-legged in front of each other. Phil winced a bit when is knees popped and Clint just grinned at the other man.

The spirit world enfolded soon around them, the prairie with its yellow grass was surrounding them and both men smiled at each other when they opened their eyes in the spirit world. The Hawk was with them, as was the Wolf.

“Wow, your Hawk is beautiful. I knew about it, just never seen it this close.” Phil thought a moment before gaping: “I’ll be damned! I’ve seen the Hawk before! At the circus!”

“What?” Clint said with a frown: “You saw me when I was a kid!?”

“I don’t actually remember much about that day but I remember seeing the Hawk and thinking it was beautiful that he was with you. You were a kid, then, not much older than my sister.”

“I had just turned twelve.” Clint nodded: “I had been with the circus a few years then and was good with the acrobatics so they gave me that show.”

Phil watched the Hawk and changed the subject: “Do you always see it?”

Clint nodded and indicated the wolf: “You?”

Phil smiled and shrugged: “Whenever I’m not stressed out of my mind and worried about you.”

“Look, I feel you’re worried about this even if you’re calm. You can explore my mind now and get to know every little bit there is to make sure you are comfortable with it.”

A smile stole on Phil’s lips: “But I already did. I also like what you feel about me.”

Surprised, Clint looked at his Guide and his mind latched onto the love he got in return. Without thinking about it, Clint drew the feeling in and wrapped it around his mind, strengthening it. Phil blinked in surprise but instinctively knowing he had done the same to his mind.

“It will keep me save then? From torture and things?” Phil asked.

“No, it cannot block out truth serum and other weird stuff. It makes your will cling on stronger. It makes it easier for you to last longer, hang on and fight with your will.”

“As long as I don’t forget you.”

“You probably won’t. The spirit guide will be always with you and lead the way. I’ve seen my Hawk since I started the meditation training.”

Phil soaked the information in and relaxed back. They stayed like this for a while longer.

~*~ Present

Phil realized that Banner was steadying him and he shrugged then: “I remember everything. Well, besides being in the bunker and being experimented on.”

The relieved sighs that came from Fury, Hill and May were a rather good indicator how much they worried: “How long have you and Clint been together?”

Phil smiled fondly at the still body: “Three years now. Right after we mentally connected. I never wanted him in my head and too close because I feared he wouldn’t feel the same but he suffered and I couldn’t let him continue.”

Bruce passed the syringe to Phil. Phil hesitated only a brief moment: “He still believes he’s partly responsible for my death.”

A few seconds later, the needle penetrated Clint’s skin. Phil waited anxiously for something to happen before Clint started seizing.

Behind them, Jemma yelled: “Give him something to hold on, Sir! Right now dying may feel like a relief.”

Beside Jemma, Skye nodded though she looked shocked. Phil took a hold of Clint’s hand and leant over him: “Hawk.” He whispered, pretty sure that Clint’s senses would pick up on the word.

They waited anxiously and Banner took the vitals. Jemma was about to come in to see after Clint herself but Fury held her back: “You just got out of decompression, take it easy. Dr Banner’s got this I’m sure.”

“Coulson, Sir,” she said: “I know this sounds selfish and all but… is there enough of that stuff to heal Fitz?” she looked small suddenly, younger than she actually was and Phil worried about her.

Bruce piped in: “Tony and I synthesized it quite a bit. It has the healing abilities for humans and we are pretty sure it is harmless. We do have enough samples left for Dr Simmons and me to recreate it if necessary and if we can use it on more Agents and people fighting with us, if we have more test-“ he cut of but Jemma finished: “subjects it would be ideal. Besides, we’re all there to watch if something goes wrong.”

Phil pinched the back of his nose and never let go with his other hand. Clint was so important to him that he reached out mentally and actually found Clint’s brain working overtime. He was fighting to wake up and Phil sighed in relieve when Clint’s mind brushed his. Phil didn’t know how else to describe it but he was startled to realize their connection.

“Clint, relax. You’re save. Take your time. Your body needs to heal first. Sleep. I’m close by. Follow my heartbeat.” He smiled and Bruce looked at him, startled, when the heart monitor next to Clint relaxed. Phil was somehow glad that not everyone had the information about Clint’s abilities though Banner definitely knew about ‘Sentinel’ as a word, Phil doubted the man knew the whole of it. Clint hadn’t been with the Avengers long enough to trust them with that knowledge. Like Agent May behind him. He could feel her mentally wondering what was going on.

Crap, with his memory block gone, his mind expanded and he could feel and read every single person’s thoughts if he wanted to. Damn, what a great superpower that was. He knew Clint was the same. 

Phil then straightened and together with Banner they left the small ICU room. He addressed the field doctor: “Is he stable enough to move him to Stark Tower?”

Tony looked at him in surprise: “Avenger Tower now, though I doubt with Steve gone it can be labeled as such.”

“Captain Rogers gone? What do you mean?” Phil turned around sharply.

Natasha sighed irritated at Fury: “Don’t you keep anyone in the loop?”

Phil shook his head: “No he doesn’t actually trust too many people though I’m in on the trust club. It was my mission to take out Garrett and Ward and to stay with you and not to keep Steve in check.”

“Clint was undercover. He wouldn’t know about any of this.” Natasha replied and Phil was overcome with a wave of rage that he barely kept in check. His fingers twitched as a response and Fury, Natasha and May looked at him, surprised.

Coulson grimaced: “That could have gone worse than it did then.” Melinda was the one to ask the question: “Why would it have gone worse? He’s a competent agent.”

“He was alone.” Phil yelled this time and turned to Natasha: “You are supposed to be his backup. You’re the only one who could draw him out.”

Suddenly, Phil realized Fury’s thoughts and sighed. Natasha caught on quickly: “Wait, no one besides us knows about his abilities?! Sir-“

“Clint never felt comfortable with anyone else knowing.”

Banner seemed to catch on then: “What is a Sentinel exactly?”

Fury seemed like he wanted to know as well.

“There was a reason Clint barely worked with anyone but us. A Sentinel is a human with five or six enhanced senses. His abilities vary on the strength of each sense. His strongest being sight, obviously. With enhanced senses comes the hand-eye coordination that you know he has. A high adrenaline response makes him stronger than most humans, more balanced and fierce in protecting what’s his. He can hear a heartbeat over a distance of two miles. More if its in a deserted area. He doesn’t need night vision. His smell is strong enough to smell emotions if he needed to and to smell explosives. His touch good enough to analyze fabric as good as a microscope.”

“Damn, that’s why he always knew about what people were saying. I though his confidential agreements he had to sign were because he loves to spy on people up in the vents.” Fury replied.

Phil smirked: “Yeah, that’s what we told everyone.”

“You said something about six senses.” May said quickly.

Phil waited a heartbeat: “That’s mental. He can pick up emotions and really strong thoughts. If someone wants to kill someone, its strong and he can act.”

Jemma gasped and turned to Bruce: “Around you that can be tricky.”

“Clint has me as a calm shield. That’s why its also essential to have someone around. He focuses on one of his senses too much and he can zone. With me gone that chance increased by one to three cases whereas its usually one in a thousand that he needs to be distracted. That’s my job. Or Natasha’s.”

~*~ Past – eight years ago

“Barton! Answer me!” Coulson yelled into the comm and waited for a reply but nothing came. The explosion had come in loudly and damn, Phil feared that Clint had zoned. He was too far away to help.

“Widow, get Barton. Touch him, give him your hair to smell on. Its important. I’ll explain later.”

Phil watched from a great distance as she made her way to Clint’s side and did as instructed. Clint came out of his daze quickly enough and started fighting back again. Natasha looked at him for a second, puzzled.

They read her in right after they were on their way back. She smiled at them patiently and looked at Clint, knowing now how he had managed to get a drop on her. She asked detailed about further problems and waited patiently.

* Past – three years ago

“I don’t have eyes on Hawkeye.” Natasha said through the comm and Phil frowned. He got a strange feeling nagging on his brain. Before Phil could answer, Natasha continued: “I don’t think he zoned.”

Phil cursed and wondered what had happened to Clint. He quickly got down from his perch to give Natasha backup. He went through a few men in his way but he quickly took them down. His first priority was finding Clint.

When he found the other man, Natasha was busy fighting off in one corner and Coulson hurried to his agent, sitting on the floor, rocking back and forth, whimpering and being out of it. He was covered in blood, his own as well as enemies as much as Phil could tell.

“Barton?” he asked before coming closer. Clint was clutching his head, rocking back and forth, whimpering and repeating over and over in a silent whisper: “Too much.”

With a light touch, Phil announced his presence and Clint suddenly wrapped his arms around the older man, whimpering in relief: “Quiet now. Too many dying around here. Emotions too high.”

Phil frowned: “You never told me about those emotions being too strong.”

“Weren’t. Wouldn’t ever endanger Nat or you. Your mind is calm.” Clint clutched at Phil’s suit jacket, still bleeding from a wound on his shoulder. The bow he had had with him was broken, one end sticking out of a man that lay barely three feet away from Clint. Damn this was way to close. 

Without looking up, Phil shot another attacker coming close. He would wonder how he knew where that man was without looking once later.

Clint, after recovery, asked him to bond.

~*~ Present

They were all gathered in the new secret base that Fury had given Coulson the cube with. Fury had gone, Natasha had left but promised to come back after making sure to check out a few former agents that could be trusted and recruited. Tony had given her new identities and a location on Steve.

Jemma was drawn in on herself, staying quiet and worrying about Fitz. Coulson had refused to give him the GH325 because his lookout had been more promising than Clint’s. That and unlocking Phil’s mental abilities was scary. He wondered why Skye didn’t show any signs but then again she was pretty good at computers. She had talked with Stark on a lot of topics and security breaches and how to stop a few small bugs and backdoors she could find in Jarvis. They agreed to copy Jarvis for the new Shield and to have Tony’s Jarvis do weekly checkups on the other AI to find out whether Hydra would highjack the AI.

Bruce was in a corner, going over a few data that Jemma had given him earlier. Melinda was sitting with him and assessed the whole room. It was strange to have two teams here but still missing someone. 

“How do we proceed?”

“We’ll get a few good agents back,” Maria Hill answered quietly and Phil had nearly forgotten she was there: “That is if Stark allows to have me part-time.”

Tony waved at her: “You saved Steve and Natasha’s asses, you stood by your former employees and friends. You’re loyal and I know you’d also be loyal to me, us, the Avengers as long as we’re on the right path. Its fine. I found the Avengers anyways, one more person to lead intel or fly a plane the Hulk and Steve can jump off, the better.

She smiled. Phil shifted uneasy but couldn’t quite place his uneasiness. She focused on him and asked: “So, how long exactly have you and Hawky been married?”

The whole room fell silent. Phil’s training as an agent saved him because his face was expressionless: “Clarify.”

“The tattoos,” she replied with the roll of her eyes: “On second thought, how long have you two been together and how come no one noticed?”

“Natasha did notice,” Phil replied. Melinda snorted and Phil continued: “We’ve been together for about three years. Clint’s abilities made it necessary that we form a mental bond to shield him from the worst of the emotions thrown at him. He couldn’t deal with those alone anymore. That mental connection opened a gate between us and no secrets were possible anymore. We realized our mutual feelings.”

“The tattoos followed then?”

“After Thor came to New Mexico. We missed each other during my assignment to Tony. We knew things would change and he knew what Fury had in mind with the Avengers. He thought it wise to have something in case something happened. This was just for us, no papers were drawn.”

Melinda was about to ask another question when Phil’s mind pinged. A wave of panic swept over him and Phil stood, running for Clint’s room and entering without precaution. He reached for Clint’s hand and placed one hand on his good shoulder: “Relax. You’re with me.”

“Dead?” the reply came with a smirk. Clint then relaxed under Phil’s hand: “I feel strange. What happened?”

“You were dying. Well, not doing well, anyways. It was touch and go for awhile there.” Phil pressed his hand: “Seep into my mind. It might be quicker.”

Clint’s mind brushed against Phil’s and both sighed in relief. It had been far too long for either of them for this connection to be stable. Phil got a glimpse of the pain Clint had lived through the past months while Clint unlocked the deepest memories Phil had and of his bad time and wanting to die.

Phil felt Clint slip back into sleep and turned back to the others behind the glass walls: “He’ll be fine.”

“I have another question for you, Director,” Maria Hill said and used his new title as given by Fury a few moments ago: “What did you mean with seep into my mind?”

“The whole Sentinel and Guide thing works mentally and in the spirit world. He has a Hawk as spirit animal, hence the name. The mental abilities he has helped my intuition, my ability to pick up people’s feelings. It strengthened after the bond and our mental connection and now after the GH325 it increased my ability to a light mindreading. I feel intent, strong emotions and can read the strongest memories. I don’t do it intentionally because my focus on Clint.”

Melinda smirked: “So the whole new recruitments will be interrogated by you and Agent Barton to be sure they’re not Hydra?”

Tony chuckled: “I will also provide Jarvis and my polygraph. Those are not HammerTech and definitely better.”

“We need Sharon Carter back. I think she joined with the CIA.” Maria said easily: “Alone her admiration of her aunt will keep her loyal.”

“Sam Wilson.” Clint said suddenly from next to them. Maria was the only one to jump at that: “The Falcon? How do you know about him?”

Clint smirked with his eyes closed: “I’m a spy.”

Melinda nearly rolled her eyes but Clint interrupted her: “I kept an eye on him as direct order. He was an amazing flyer with those wings. I wanted to recruit him. Or let Natasha try. But as far as I can read Maria’s strong thoughts he’s with Steve.”

“What was that about reading thoughts?”

“Sorry. I’m laid up. Those are my defenses running high. That and I’m very protective of Phil here.” He said and shifted uneasy on his hospital bed: “When can I get out of here?”

Bruce laughed shortly: “You’ve been laid up for three hours, Barton. You had a twenty percent surviving rate not three hours ago and a major surgery fixing you up.”

“I got that GH325 stuff. It’s supposed to help.” He frowned and laid back down: “Can someone go over to Fitz and talk to him? He’s scared, half conscious and wants to die.”

Jemma gasped sharply and took Skye’s arm. Antoine followed them and Phil frowned at him. Something was off and the man had been absent the last few hours, only now having come back. 

Melinda hesitated for a moment but Phil indicated her to go with them. She was on their team.

“I’ll stay with Clint for a moment now. Why don’t you all get some rest? We’ll need to rebuild SHIELD and fight against Hydra and get our status within the government back.” Phil said and watched them all leave besides Hill. She grinned: “Sir, what spirit animal are you?”

Phil smiled secretively and Maria guessed: “A wolf? You behave like an alpha wolf who would protect his pack.”

Behind Phil’s back, Clint raised an arm with a thumb up. Maria left without getting an answer from Phil.

~*~ Past – a year ago

“Clint, please don’t do this. You can fight Loki’s control.” Phil told him and shrugged, walking up and down: “You are part of the Avengers that Director Fury and I had planned.”

“I can’t fight this when I’m awake, Phil. Trust me. I tried. Do you honestly think I enjoy fighting you? God, Phil. You’re my everything. I can’t even use my senses because Loki is stupid enough not to realize what I am. This mental connection wouldn’t even be able if he were smart enough to block everything.” Clint picked on a few straws to keep his hands busy.

“The spirit world is part of Asgardian culture. I don’t think he would cut himself off to magic. Maybe you being controlled has something to do with this?”

“Whatever, Phil, you need to knock me on the head. An accident while we were working on setting up the lab here caused a concussion and that man was crystal clear in the head. Please get me out.” Clint’s from was sprawled on the floor, chewing on a straw.

“I promise. I’ll tell Natasha as well in case I need to stay around Loki.”

Clint nodded and touched his chest above his heart, indicating the tattoo.

Phil mirrored the gesture before they left the spirit world, not knowing this would be their last encounter.

*

Natasha was talking to Clint, after his recalibration when suddenly, Clint started to scream his lungs out. He was trashing, lashing out and Natasha had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She touched him to keep him save, a bruise formed immediately. She spoke softly to him but he just clutched his ears.

She had to call help to administer a special sedative for him to calm down: “Phil,” he whimpered and Natasha winced: “I’m sorry, Clint.”

“The emotions. Banner’s anger. God Nat.” He winced. Natasha frowned: “How much don’t I know about you?”

Clint winced: “I need mental blockers. He kept out the whole emotions of people. He was my shield. He kept me calm.” He absently stroked a hand over his chest and Natasha grabbed his arm, looked underneath the shirt.

The tattoo was rubbed raw, red around the edges.

Natasha’s heart ached in sympathy and she reached out a hand. Clint smiled thankfully at her because even when grieving, she was calm as well.

~*~ Present

Stark walked back into the room where Phil and Clint were. He looked at the sleeping Clint and Phil who was clutching the archer’s hand. Tony sat down on a chair next to Phil and said quietly: “I’m glad you’re back.”

Phil smirked at the other man: “Still using Steve’s shield element as a cheap wedge?”

Stark laughed quietly and Phil could see Tony’s thoughts: “Okay, I shouldn’t have asked you that without getting your whole emotions on that subject.”

He’d never seen Tony blush before. The man sighed: “Banner and I worked three weeks on that mental block for him. He needed to take it every two days and he was in a bad spot. He thought he helped killing you. He screamed awake at night thinking he had killed you, dreaming he did because Loki had planted that thought into his head at the end.”

Phil’s grip tightened on Clint’s hand. He sighed: “I dreamt of him every night since I came back from the dead. I saw him but I couldn’t remember his name. I knew nothing of the battle of New York anymore. I never knew about it and the files never mentioned Hawkeye having joined.”

Stark shrugged and looked at Clint: “He stayed with us for a month then went off for a new assignment. We accepted him like a brother but he always flinched or drew away, thinking we blamed him for Loki’s brainwash. Thor came back once and told him not to worry that he was strong minded and Loki wouldn’t be able to trick him a second time.”

Phil was glad in a way and then perked up when Clint pressed his hand. Phil raised a small hand to stop Tony and turned to Clint: “Yes, I know.” He stood up: “Stay with him for a moment please.”

Director Coulson had a job to do. Antoine had felt wrong to him and it was time to address it. Jemma was still sitting next to Fitz though and he had to talk to her a second. He knew why Fitz had mistrusted Antoine but still, Jemma had liked Antoine.

“Agent Simmons,” he waited for her to turn around: “Antoine is not who you think he is. We will have to deal with this problem.”

“Fitz never liked him. I should have trusted his instinct.”

“And your feelings for him?” he asked. She nodded and smiled: “I need to tell him. Sir, he’s stable and his recovery is at a eighty percent chance now.”

“I’m sorry this had to happen.” Phil said: “I could always feel this between you.”

Jemma grinned and nodded: “Yes. And don’t worry about Antoine. I knew something was off in how he stumbled across me at the labs.”

Phil nodded at her and walked through the corridors. Bruce looked up at him and he indicated Bruce to follow him. The other man did without hesitation and they made their way to Antoine. Quickly and efficiently it was clear that he didn’t work for Hydra but CIA and was trying to spy on them nonetheless. Phil brought him to the cells.

*


	3. Chapter 3

“Sir, I have successfully contracted a few of the loyal members that I trusted. We need to see whether they really are trustworthy.” Hill said and looked at Melinda. Both women nodded.

“First of all I want to make sure that the Avengers and you two get the chance to work with us on decisions making. We don’t want to have one person in on the decisions again. Clint and I are best to access persons but that will stay on the need to know basis only.” Phil sat back in his chair at the table they had gathered from storage.

“Who will be senior agents?”

“We’ll need you and others to be those. We need to contact all that have worked with us before and make sure they’re not Hydra. Maybe we could have Pepper Potts help in organizing with us.” Phil said easily: “And we still need to find other hideouts of Hydra. Therefore Ward will come in useful. Sadly, I had to burst Garrett or else he could have told us who recruited him.”

Clint sauntered into the room then: “That is easy. Where do you think I was the past few months? Fury told me that Garrett had his own mission and I was to go under and find out where from. I found them. And killed them.”

Phil gaped at his Agent and stood quickly: “Shouldn’t you be still in bed? You had a surgery!”

Clint smirked and shifted his shirt aside to reveal a slight pink scar: “Guess my metabolism and that GH325 from Banner is better than yours because I healed all up. Internally as well.”

“Well, that could be a trick. I don’t think anyone can heal that fast.” Melinda said and looked at Phil: “You should check that over while Maria and I are going to manage that wedding you never got around to.”

Clint was too well trained to gape at those two women but he came pretty close to it: “Just don’t even think about inviting my brother!”

Maria smiled a bit and nodded while Melinda got off her chair. Maria followed suit: “Sir, I advice you to bring your family in on the knowledge that you aren’t MIA anymore.”

“You MIA’ed me? Why-“

Clint interrupted: “It was my doing. I told them your family raised you to be super smart they probably could add your classified work and the New York Attack together. I told them to write you off and after two years declare you dead.”

Phil looked rather stricken for a moment: “They let you manage my stuff?”

Maria cleared her throat softly: “We asked Natasha and Clint. Natasha only looked at Clint and said it was his call. We never figured out your fresh tattoo could be a clue.”

“Do you want to hold of on that wedding until your family can attend?” Maria asked.

“Why do we need to have a wedding at all?” Phil frowned and shrugged: “The paperwork shouldn’t wait too much longer though.”

Clint grinned: “But I don’t have anything worth taking from me if we should divorce!”

~*~ Past – two years ago

“Do you have any family left?” Clint asked and cut of the thread after tying it off and disinfected the neat row of stitches on Phil’s back. He applied a waterproof plaster carefully.

Phil sighed: “Actually, quite a big one. My parents are still alive as far as I know and I have two brothers and a sister. They all have kids by now and when we’re gathered we’re about thirteen.”

“That’s quite a lot.” Clint said and put the tools away: “Why as far as you know? Aren’t you close?”

“Not particular with this line of work. I have to keep a lot of secrets and they’re not fond of me falling quiet and not telling them anything. They accepted that I can’t talk about my work after I lied to them one too many times and they saw right through it.”

Clint stilled and looked down: “Sometimes I wonder if it ain’t easier being alone but then I think that I liked having a brother until he left me alone.”

Phil moved closer to Clint and touched him on the cheek: “You have a new family. With us. You chose us and we are always loyal to you. At least Fury, Maria, Natasha and I. Blood matters, I won’t say it doesn’t but between the blood we have lost to protect another? This makes it family in my book. You’re connected to me mentally, Clint. I would cut my own arm of before I had to cut you lose.”

“Will you marry me?” Clint asked and then frowned and blushed a bit: “Uh, sorry, not how I imagined asking you, that with the needle and blood still right there.”

Phil laughed and nodded: “Yes, even though the environment could be better, I’ll marry you.” Before kissing Clint long and deep.

They broke the kiss only when the extract team arrived. 

* Past - six years ago

A loud boom echoed through the comms and Phil winced in sympathy to what Clint must definitely be hearing. Suddenly, Clint winced in hurt: “Phil? Some biochemical weapon just disabled my senses. Pretty much all of them.”

“Can you still hear me?”

No reply.

Phil thought hard and focused in Clint’s direction and their spirit world: “Incoming on your half past seven, 6’7 tall.” Phil thought and watched through his binoculars where Clint was shooting an arrow straight through that man’s chest. Clint would have to kill this helpless. 

“Natasha is on her way. Can you use your mental to find targets then I can leave my post and help you.”

“For a brief moment, yes. Hurry, Phil. Whatever it is has a sedative as well.”

Phil sprinted towards Clint’s position, radioing Natasha and their extraction team that they needed medical for Clint.

Arriving next to Clint, fighting his way close, he tapped Clint’s back briefly and let him know he had his back now. Clint’s mental ability crashed then because as much as he always used it, relying only on one sense would exhaust him and might cause him to zone out. That and the drugs.

~*~ Present

Phil had organized the whole team into four specific tasks. One division was the scientists now with Fitz awake if not yet moving, doing tests and research with the GH325 and trying various cells of Clint, Phil and Skye since they did have sort of different time schedules in between and could indicate certain markers on what to expect. Bruce, Jemma, Darcy, Jane the trauma team and Tony were working on that.

The second part of the team was to research a new headquarters and to stabilize the funds they had left after the mayor crash had happened. Jarvis’ estimation was that ninety percent of the Hydra followers had been killed either on the Inside-Ships or in the direct resulting uprising. That meant for them to take the funds quickly and find a new location other than the one they were currently in. Skye, Melinda and Billy Koenig were working on that.

The third team was handling recruiting. Phil and Clint were mainly behind this with Jarvis who made estimations based on coworkers and social circles about who would least likely be Hydra. They chose people they trusted before and new recruits that weren’t with them long enough for Hydra.

The fourth team was to make the public representations and bring back SHIELD as a government organization. Pepper Potts was consulting with Maria on this while Skye helped partly. This whole thing would need more time than could be immediately fixed. 

The fifths team was of the flight staff of Fury’s plane and a few medical staff. They had the task to check the supplies and make lists of what they would need. 

Clint was pretty exhausted after only a few hours on working through the new recruits though and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Phil looked up from his papers strewn around: “Go get some rest Clint.”

“No,” the man replied stubbornly: “I’ll help you finish this. Most of them Jarvis reported dead anyways so there aren’t that many left. Sadly. I can’t believe that people I have worked for and have worked with would turn their back suddenly and chose to follow Hydra.”

“If I were Hydra wouldn’t you be it as well?”

“Maybe if you had been right from the start when I was assassinating people. Definitely not after basics. My training also included morals and the like so maybe that’s where they knew whom to recruit? The less high score you have in morals the more likely they asked you to join their club?” Clint asked with a frown: “Because come to think about it, no one ever asked me and I was dark side and I have a problem with authority figures…”

“You don’t have a problem with them anymore. Or at least not those you trust and that showed you loyalty. You never liked Sitwell, thank god.”

“My having a problem with authority is pretty small but still there. I always acted differently around you but that has another reason as you know.”

Phil smiled softly over the stack of papers: “We should look for the high score ranking and cross reverence it to the known Hydra agents. You might be on to something.”

Jarvis piped up un their phones: “I did the cross reverence you were just talking about and 99% of those with moral issues were found to be Hydra or at least died with the Headquarters going down.”

Clint whistled surprised: “Who was overseeing the scores?”

“Agent Brock Rumlow.” Jarvis replied: “Deceased.”

Frustrated, Clint threw his pen down: “Okay lets see who has high scores on morale and see whether they’re still alive to save some time going through this. I know there might be a chance they were recruited later on as well but those we’ll find out.”

“You make a good deputy director.”

“Oh no, don’t even think about it. Maria is much better suited than I could ever be. Besides, I hate paperwork. I’m more like a beta.”

“Like a pack thing? Clint, my spirit animal may be a wolf and we both might be alphas in strength but I don’t think for one second you’re my pack or something that silly.” Clint snorted but didn’t reply and Phil shrugged while continuing: “The Avengers have vetoing rights on all decisions. That and the World Security Council is more or less still standing.”

They kept silent for a short while and Clint absently rubbed his chest. Phil noticed: “You’re not fully healed yet.”

“When was I ever the guy to sit down in medical until they released me?” Clint asked rhetorical and sighed: “The med team was busy organizing and getting behind all possible supplies we could need. The task you gave them with guidelines from Billy Koenig and he distracted them rather successfully so that I could slip out.”

Phil chuckled and indicated his chest: “Its pretty similar, our injuries. Your bullet was rather close to the heart, same as my scepter-injury.”

Clint shrugged easily: “Well, what can I say, I follow your steps. Hopefully without the dying part.” Clint turned towards the one side with his head: “Ward is causing trouble with Antoine. We only have one cell after all and they’re fighting over it.”

“Too serious?”

“Nah. They won’t fight to death. I also keep an ear out in case both men decide to suddenly talk about the Hydra connection but its hard to stay focused all the time. I might zone.”

“Your abilities are not blocked? I thought Stark and Banner had created that serum?” Phil stood then and walked around to where Clint was seated. He run his hands over the other man’s head and rested them there.

Clint shook his head a bit: “No, not anymore. And only my mental part was blocked but it is like the meds flushed them out that and being on the run those last two days. The GH325 may have done its part as well since I think my mental ability increased.”

“Yeah, we’re still working on those test results with all our bloods. Since Skye and I are half a year apart and you and Skye five weeks, it gives us two variables to work with in relation to the change.”

“By the way, who is Skye? She is kind of strange and she feels…off?” Clint shrugged helplessly.

“We’re still trying to figure that out. We never retrieved the files before someone had them stolen and hidden.” Phil grimaced: “It’s a nightmare.”

Clint yawned then and rested his head on Phil’s stomach since the other man was that close: “Time to go to bed yet?”

“Not for another few weeks but I’ll make an exception and all since we haven’t seen each other in a while and we are married in the spirit world after all.”

~*~ Past - two years ago

Clint didn’t really know how he got here in the first place but it was his damn luck that he was still alive. If barely.

The op had started normal enough that they didn’t suspect anything until right in the middle of fellow agents going in, that Clint had been shot at by another sniper and though he had fired back, his spot was compromised and his exits had been cut off. The only way that had been left was down.

Clint knew he could do the drop and survive even though it would be hell to pay but there was no other way out.

“They have surrounded me.” Clint said.

“Hawkeye, get down, we have a car waiting. The others are being extracted right now.”

Clint had only listened to Phil’s voice before jumping down. What he hadn’t counted on was being hit in the leg by a bullet.

He crashed into the floor three stories below and rolled. His leg didn’t take the weight though and he had to roll. His head hit the ground hard and Clint faded.

The next thing he knew was being lifted by strong arms, smooth fabric under his fingers told him it was Phil, that and his smell and hearing. He relaxed into Phil’s chest and smiled before fading again.

*

Clint walked into Phil’s room, limping a bit and closing the door behind his back before going to lie on the couch.

Phil had barely even raised his eyebrow, never mind his eyes off his paperwork: “Fled the medical again?”

“I’m bored out of my mind there. Seriously, don’t they have better things to do than probe me, annoy me and not entertain me while I’m laid up? Its no wonder I sneak out. I sneak out and hide where they can’t find me.”

“They sure know where to find you, Clint.”

“Ah, but they never dare bothering you while your door is closed. Which it is now.” Clint smirked and relaxed a bit.

Phil stood up then, after carefully closing the file he had and placing the pen down: “How is the leg?”

“Stitches will come out in a few days. Until then its wrapped and sealed waterproof so at least I might be able to finally get a shower instead of sponge baths.” Clint shuddered.

With barely a move, Phil indicated the leg and Clint pulled back the pant leg. Phil sat down at the Clint’s feet and took the leg in his lap, unwrapping the bandage carefully. He looked the wound over and nodded before reaching next to him into a small box and wrapped the bandages again and sealed them waterproof again.

Clint sighed and rested back: “God, how can I be so exhausted after walking a few steps?”

“That’s because you’re not as good as you want to be.” Phil rested on the couch next to Clint, stroking small circles into the skin without realizing it. Clint’s leg twitched: “You should stop that before its too late.”

Phil looked up and smiled before shifting: “That’s the bond, isn’t it?”

Clint shrugged: “I think so, yes.”

Without hesitation, Phil leant over and kissed Clint, long and deep. It got messier with every other second and Clint was in his lap seconds later, turning this into a fantastic make out session.

~*~ Present

They were woken by a pounding on their door that made them jump up. Clint was already up and in a sitting position, gun drawn when Phil touched him carefully: “Use your senses, Clint. You’re on base here.”

Clint tilted his head: “Maria,” he said to Phil and Phil called “Come in,” after yawning once.

Maria walked in and looked at them without blinking twice but a small smile was around her lips: “I’m sorry to wake you but Natasha called and said she brought Steve back. They lost any and all traces of Bucky Barnes for a while but will resume once there is a trail again. I asked Skye to program a feed to inform us when he shows up again since I think it is rather important not to let him go dark side again.”

“Yes, good thinking. Thank you. What time is it anyways?” Phil said and was about to climb out of bed.

“Nearly seven hundred. Phil, you look tired. Rest. There is nothing more urgent and you need your rest. So does Clint. Besides, you earn it to be together for a few hours and talk this through or spirit-hug it out or whatever.”

Phil was contemplating for a moment but nodded his thanks then. Maria left the room.

Clint fell back into the rather small bed next to Phil and laughed. Phil looked at him for a moment and followed a second later before leaning over Clint to trace the scar and the double C on the chest. He laid his hand flat out over Clint’s beating heart and relaxed: “Sometimes I hate you for having that ability to hear my heart whereas I have the only means of feeling yours beat under your skin.”

“You have your mind. We shared a dream last night and I know how your abilities have grown. You can invade anyone here easily and strip them to their basics. You can shred their minds without much thought. I know you fear that power and rightfully so but if you don’t try and use your power, your control can slip.”

Phil looked at the other man’s blue eyes and was simply amazed that the other man knew him like this and that he was not even reading his mind most of the time. Phil reached out and dragged himself closer to Clint, kissing the other man with a passion. He let their naked chests rest together and was rather annoyed that they both wore boxers though a few seconds ago with Maria coming into their room it had been rather helpful to have that little bit of fabric though they all had been on missions where they had been naked around another at one point or another.

Clint sighed into the kiss and dragged Phil on top of him and frowned: “You’ve lost weight.”

“That’s all you can think of while I’m here kissing you, barely naked after that long?” Phil asked and Clint chuckled: “Well, looks like you sounded just like me there.”

They fell back into stroking skin and touching and kissing every spot they could reach. This was about coming back together, about refreshing their memories of the feel since their bodies had changed slightly. This was about love and commitment, their connection not only in their bond, not only about their physical connection but about their deep understanding and knowledge of each other.

*

Steve was striding into the small place that they had claimed with Sam and Natasha at his side. He was looking around the biggest room and the people gathered around while the interactive tables that Tony had supplied barely kept up with the data they handled.

Natasha looked around the room and spotted Melinda: “Hey, where is the Director?”

It was Maria that stepped up to them: “Director Fury has officially stepped down from his position as a leader and will handle all the information but he will take on a more active role in ops but will remain hidden otherwise. Director Coulson is still asleep.”

Steve frowned: “Did you just say Coulson?” he looked at Natasha who nodded: “He is alive?”

Agent Hill frowned and nodded: “Yes. He did not survive the incident with Loki but he was subjected to a special project that Fury led. We were able to bring him back to life and heal him fully. He was kept hidden to hide eventual problems but it has been a year and we don’t expect any problems. Agent Coulson has been back on active duty for six months.”

Steve was nodding: “I need to speak with him. Where is he?”

Skye piped up: “Last room down the hall.” Before anyone could stop her. Hill interrupted: “He is still asleep, Captain.”

Steve shrugged and stalked off. Behind him, Hill indicated something to Natasha, who’s eyes grew big and she hurried after Steve but Steve had reached the door to Phil’s room by then and though he knocked, waited a polite three seconds before walking in.

And literally walking into Clint and Phil, naked, barely having had time to cover themselves but all evidence suggested that they had only snuggled since Clint lay next to Phil, head on his shoulder, arm over the other man’s chest and his moving arm indicated he had reached the blanket just in time to cover their asses. Literally.

Phil actually blushed and Clint smirked: “Hey Steve!”

Steve was frozen for a second before he grinned before buffing out a laugh: “I should have guessed. Uh, I’ll wait outside, Sir, and good to see you both not dead.”

Natasha behind Steve shrugged: “I tried to stop him. But hey, you make a cute couple that with the matching scars and tattoos.”

The door closed behind Natasha and Steve was leaning against the wall there and chuckling: “I didn’t see that one.”

“You weren’t around to see them interact together. When Coulson was dead…”

“I heard Clint scream. I didn’t know what it meant but it must have been when they told him he was killed by the man he aided in getting there?” Steve summed it up.

Natasha shook her head: “You know about Clint asking Bruce for meds?” Natasha waited for Steve’s nod before she started to explain all about the Sentinel and Guide information she had.

*

With Steve helping on the PR work they had to do and vouching in front of the high ranking military, the president and NSA and CIA agents, they took his word for reforming SHIELD and that not every agent working for SHIELD was evil. He actually managed to get a free to do it all card for the Avengers, Hill, Wilson and Phil’s new junior agents on that flying Bus. Melinda and Natasha wanted to remain as anonymously as possible since they were the Cavalry and Black Widow. 

After those issues had been dealt with, Steve and Tony got around to work on new SHIELD badges that were implanted with microchips as well as a deal with an agent to implant one behind their ears that worked as comm or a chip in case they got kidnapped. The new thing about this? While Stark and Banner had worked on blocking Clint’s mind from the mental stress, they worked out how to work technology with your brain if connected correctly. Thus every agent could consciously turn the transmitter on or off.

Not everyone had to accept those comms but it would be easier and Jarvis would maintain the oversight on feeds to make sure everything was monitored correctly. The other main feature Jarvis had been tasked with was paperwork. Every Agent could dictate what they wanted added to the paperwork while the basic forms were auto-filled mostly to the average need.

A huge part of their data was stored on Stark’s Cloud that was basically somewhere in the Marina Trench, fiber glass connecting it and Stark’s Tech powering it. Deep sea currents were also powering the servers.

That all had been done in less than four days.

Clint was sitting opposite Sharon Carter, Phil next to him. They were asking her questions and Phil was picking her brain for any sign of disloyalty. He was relieved she had agreed to the intensive screening and knew it had been necessary.

She was the first to be back and accepted the comm. She named them four other agents and technicians that she trusted and thought were worth it checking out.

*

Melinda, Skye and Billie were heading in not too long after they had those few agents and had a few ideas about a new headquarter. The infrastructure was solid and Jarvis had a 3D-model on his table that Phil, Melinda, Maria and Tony stripped and re-designed. It would have to undergo constructions but Tony knew the builders team and hired them. Thankfully, SHIELD had most of their investments, shares and other funds still going on even after cleaning up the disaster that was Washington.

Clint had vetoed three designs as well as Natasha who had said the other two were too easy to run over and didn’t have enough hidden exits.

Eventually they had settled and were now reconstructing the building and also making a rather spectacular high rise out of it. Similar to Tony’s Avengers Tower.

Once the building had been decided on, they chose a secondary base for laboratories; a third base for hidden things and over all had about seventeen new buildings. Easier said than done with nearly ninety-nine point nine percent less personal than they had before.

After the headquarters were settled and decided on, they worked on save houses all over the globe and worked on rebuilding the Bus. Thankfully Tony’s robots were a big help and the fact that Tony owned a few building overseas and had a few company yachts that could be used with SHIELD though Tony and Pepper agreed on a few strictly Stark Industries buildings though.

“Director?” Hill asked and stuck her head into the office only to see Phil and Clint lip-locked. She hid a grin and was really relieved to see both Phil and Clint this happy after the last few months had been really tough. Scratch that, years. They never had the fairy-tale relationship and now that she knew about them she realized how many fucked up situations those two had managed and how many fights they had dealt with but while it was obvious for the closest friends to see they had a fight, their work and other Agents never picked up on anything. 

“Maria, how many times-“ Phil started and she shrugged: “Sorry Phil. But I never called Director Fury anything than, Fury or Director.”

Clint laughed and shrugged but Phil replied: “It’s just, we’ve both been with SHIELD for at least twenty years.”

Maria nodded and returned to her topic: “Why I came to see you, Bruce and Jemma are gathering the Heads for a briefing on GH325.”

“Heads?” Clint frowned.

Maria grinned: “Yes. That includes the Avengers and the first of the new SHIELD.”

“Basically the new guys are excluded.”

“Yes. It came as a rather fun fact that everyone invited themselves to the last meeting we held to brainstorm.”

“What last meeting?” Phil frowned and Clint coughed: “Uh, that one where I heard about and was asked to attend but then Phil kissed me senseless and we ended up in bed?”

Maria laughed out loud and indicated them to follow her: “I’m really glad your relationship is a known factor. Its such a good entertainment when its boring around here and it keeps morale up and gives hope of finding a partner.”

Barton scrunched up his face: “There goes my reputation in front of the juniors.”

They followed Maria to a small room off to one side and found everyone already there. The room was rather crowded and many had to make do with sitting on crates or similar boxes stacked high with stuff they would need.

Phil took his one chair that had been left and sat down, realizing that Barton didn’t have a chair left but everyone else had a spot. He frowned because Clint was right on top level with Hill and May. Natasha was lower ranking as was Steve considering how many years they all had been in SHIELD.

“Next time we have a meeting, make sure everyone has a seating space no matter where.” He said quietly. No matter how much Clint liked lurking in the corners to have a clear view, this was a no go in front of a senior agent but Phil let that rest now since they scrabbled seating spots together.

“Yes Sir,” Hill replied but it was Skye that stood: “Take my Chair, Agent Barton. I’ll run part of the show anyways.”

The spot was right next to Steve and Phil. Clint frowned and knew what Phil had been getting at.

Skye said then: “I drew the short straw and lead this meeting.” She flicked the screen on a table and indicated: “These are our new buildings. They are bought and paid for or were former SHIELD but haven’t been used in ages as well as left over military facilities that now need to be refurbished. We have signed contracts with the government on those.” She moved on: “I hacked into all feeds of all safehouses we have singled out all bases where HYDRA is using our facilities. Those will be cleaned once we have resources enough and sold those properties since they are not secret anymore.”

Hill stood, Skye leaning back against a wall, and handed out badges for everyone: “We designed those with approval of the government. I am to give NSA and CIA as well as the President himself reports on any big events and Pepper and I are liaisons between all agencies. Those new badges come in with a few cool tech. Agent Fitz,”

Leo stood quickly but carefully, his arm wrapped neatly: “Yes. Those badges are your ID card as well as identification to the outside. Within the facilities we’ll be tracking your badges and they have close proximity life detection so if your heart rate spikes or stops altogether an alarm is being sent out. They can be triggered to explode enough to give a distraction if handled wrongly and thanks to Stark, can record sound that is transferred to a server if a StarkPhone is close by.”

Skye grinned: “Jarvis will take over monitoring and will be discreet to your personal wishes off duty. All of you have agreed to the Earshield, as we call it, that small device interacting with your brain and being your comm and can be tracked worldwide up to seventy meters down in the ground except heavy shielded compounds but this device was created by Stark.”

Tony took that as his cue and piped in: “That device will be able to do more in the future as soon as we come up with more ideas. Right now its able to hack into any and all Wifi signals or Bluetooth or whatever is around that can transmit a signal. So if you find yourself on the hands of HYDRA and they use even a satellite phone through the walls or use Wifi within their compound, you’ll be able to send out a distress call. The distress signal is hidden within a song.” Tony pressed a button and Sister Hazel’s “Sword and Shield” was coming across the speakers.

“Sweet,” Clint grinned and Phil took Clint’s hand. Steve smiled: “We picked it due to a few lines that are important. After Loki’s brainwash, the enemies might take your will but won’t last forever.”

“Thank you.” Phil said and clearly –for friends - struggled with a wave of emotions: “This is rather good. Please make sure all junior agents know of the significance and the meanings.”

Tony added: “If you’re in trouble, start humming it or think of the device and you can activate it. Now, back to the science of Bruce.”

Banner stood and Jemma followed suit. The screen behind them lit up and Jemma indicated a few markers: “We were able to analyze the GH325 in the blood of all three. Finally. It took a while to see what it did and where it went because we weren’t exactly looking for it in the place we found it. We made tests with first Director Coulson’s blood since it’s the oldest. We barely found any trace of it but what we did find is rather surprising and to be honest, Sir, we’re really glad we also administered the GH325 to Agent Barton.”

Bruce continued: “The tests in durability and what your blood work was able to show is rather extreme. You won’t ever get a cold again; pretty much anything that is administered to you, sedatives or drugs will be flushed from your blood almost immediately and transformed into a form of the GH325, which is then used to fight the substance. The same with poison, truth sera, pretty much anything we could think of.”

“Wait, does that mean we’re like, invincible to everything this world has?” Skye asked surprised.

Jemma nodded: “Pretty much, yes. But Skye, your body reacted a bit differently. We don’t know why yet but its slower going. But you are also protected by the serum. Of course it may take time for your system to get rid of it once administered but we think there is nothing that could poison you. Your cell regeneration works faster than the average human but we put your blood on fire and found after that you’re pretty much toast. So you’re not invincible but harder to kill and easier to regenerate which is the main reason GH325 was given to you after all.”

“The other thing about GH325 is that it changed part of your chromosomes and DNA. Your chromosome pairs have increased by one, similar to Captain Rogers and Thor’s. We think that this means having certain abilities such as Director Coulson’s mental ability. Of course it only increased the prior state but it enhanced the abilities. We’re certain that given time to fully adapt, both Agent Skye and Agent Barton will gain abilities.”

“So our super-drug has not yet settled enough?” Clint asked and shrugged: “I already have enough powers, don’t you think?”

Skye shrugged and kept her silence.

“Any predictions to what?” Phil asked.

“We believe they will also be mental abilities. There is the theory of telekinesis but we think empathy and reading minds will be most likely given Director Coulson’s results.” Banner answered: “I’m afraid only time will tell.”

“You mentioned you were glad Clint also got it, why?” Natasha asked patiently.

It was Jemma who got a nod from Bruce that hesitantly said: “Much like Bruce’, Captain Rodger’s and Thor’s DNA, we’re not sure anymore what your life expectancy will be. We tried to make tests but they were inconclusive.”

The silence that lasted was deafening but it was Clint who spoke: “I vote we include a special paperwork for a contingency plan. Every Agent has to decide for his or herself if they ever want to be treated with GH325 if the situation arises that it’s life or death. Not everyone should be given that much power without a dire situation and I think Dr Banner should keep the GH325 hidden away from everyone.”

Phil nodded: “I agree. Please raise your hands in favor of locking it away.”

All hands rose but Tony cleared his throat on top: “What if, given the situation someone finds a partner. Much like Coulson and Barton here, where one of them gets the therapy but has the life expanse of say, a few decades on top, could there be a special clause to even out the life expectancy so they’re not alone until their life’s end? I think Steve here has had way too many friends die and if only one could remain, that it could help immensely?”

Phil nodded again: “In favor, please vote.”

More hesitantly hands were held up but Maria said carefully: “A partnership needs to have been reported prior to any accident or at least one Agent of this room needs to be aware of a relationship having been there. Also, Clint or Phil have to search the mind for intend. Of course we cannot foresee or dictate a relationship but knowing where people stand is important.”

“Jarvis, please make sure every agent knows the updated data and has signed their opinion on those topics. Furthermore, if you know of a relationship and it comes to such a situation where the couple decided to stay hidden but needs proof, you are allowed to share this information.” Phil said and Jarvis replied a confirmation before Skye continued: 

“We’re still recruiting people and finding them. We have fifty people on lookout and are doing check ups on them at the moment. We want to invite them to an office building downtown Manhattan and do the interviews.”

Melinda said easily: “We need to find a suitable contingency plan for prisoners and artifacts that we found. Currently we’re an all you can eat buffet for any HYDRA willing to steal from us.”

“Work on that with Bruce. He’s rather good at construction.” Tony grinned and got a dirty look from the silent man.

“We also need more scientists,” Jemma said: “Please search for suitable recruits as well.”

“Then there is also the matter of what else we found out,” Skye said and indicated the screen: “Hydra has a new player.” A picture flashed across the screen and Skye continued: “Jarvis and I believe many of Hydra’s strings lead back to that man. Wolfgang Von Strucke. He has a German title, Baron, but that doesn’t mean much anymore these days.”

“Do we know where he is?” Melinda asked and leant forward.

Tony clapped his hands twice and the screen changed: “Skye and I hacked into a few security feeds and are monitoring an area in Germany where we believe they have a few industrial warehouses. We’ll let you know once we know more.”

“Good, lets monitor him and once we have enough personal to attempt an op, we’ll do it. Natasha, I would like you to do the spying while Clint later comes in to take the shot. If that man is such a high priority within Hydra, I want the Avengers circling him. But that needs to wait.” Phil said and handed out sheets of paper: “Here are a few next steps we need to take. And don’t ever call the people in here “Head”. It sounds too much like-“

“Yeah, we get it.” Banner shrugged and it was Leo who said: “Then Director Coulson, Hill, May, Romanov and Barton are the Alpha team. We others are Beta while the remaining is the Omega team.”

“You’re hinting at that Wolf thing, aren’t you?” Phil said but nodded: “At least it sounds better than Head.”

Phil gave a small signal then and the whole team dismantled. All but Maria. She looked at Phil and Clint before sliding a folder over: “Sir, your family has tried to reach out to that dummy company for SHIELD again. You are still MIA and they don’t know you’re with SHIELD. Please contact them.”

She left the room and Billy came in, bringing another chair with him but he only looked at them briefly: “Lunch would be three rooms over and you’re the first I tell.”

“Thank you. You’re a godsend.” Clint moaned slightly. He stood then and took Phil’s hand, dragging the reluctant man to his feet and into the small kitchen. They quickly scoped up their food and took their trays to Phil’s small room.

They ate in silence for a while and Clint asked hesitantly: “What about your family?”

“I haven’t figured that out yet. Part of the reason why I hadn’t mentioned them or let them know about me.” Phil chewed a few forkfuls before saying: “I want you to finally meet them. But what I haven’t decided on is whether you should be my husband by then or later.”

Clint looked at Coulson, clearly startled. He knew they had talked about it, even joked and hinted at it but this startled him anyways: “No matter what you decide, I’m with you and they cannot get rid of me.”

~*~Past - six years ago

“Clint?” Phil asked and looked up at the ceiling and waited before the other man came down. It took a moment for Phil to realize Clint waited until no one was in sight in this corridor to realize where Clint usually drops down.

“Yeah, I heard and no way is he ever going to join SHIELD.” Clint said and balled a fist at his side: “Sir, he tried to beat me to death and left me to die after tutoring me for more than four years. Just, no. Hell no.”

Coulson nodded and looked around the room: “Trickshot?”

“My Brother can stay dead to me. Barney has shown his loyalties long ago and I am done with it. I accepted a long time ago that he is dead to me.”

Coulson looked at him carefully and indicated to walk with him for a few moments: “Do you want to see him? We’ve got him in custody. Jasper and his team caught them both trying to pull one over on AIM but got caught from both of us.”

“Do you think I should?”

“Depending on if you have closed that topic and are done with him, or them. If not, see them and look how they are. You don’t have to let them see you. You don’t have to talk to them but if there is but a little bit of doubt, consider seeing them.”

“You, Sir, are definitely my Guide, whether you believe in the spirit world or not.” Clint said and suddenly stopped, reaching for his handler’s hand: “Ground me.”

Coulson was already moving closer to Clint, hugging him close, ignoring the other, mostly junior agents in the hallway and drew Clint’s face to his neck: “Breathe in. Listen to my heartbeat, feel the pulse under my skin, smell what I have been up to.”

Clint trembled slightly: “Coffee with a bit of cinnamon and vanilla. You had a doughnut, with chocolate and a bagel with cream. You’ve been down in the shooting range because there is still powder on your arms. You were already writing and signing reports because there is ink on your fingertips…”

“Good,” Phil said: “Mentally?”

“You’re calm. Making the others, making Barney go away.” Clint admitted: “Both men were my anchor for a while there. It’s like I’m trying to find them with my senses though I don’t want to.”

“I’ll get them removed from this building as soon as possible then,” Coulson said and shrugged: “Better?”

“Yes, thank you.” Clint said and straightened: “I hate this.”

“You are trough with your senses. We’re still trying to explore everything there is. Don’t worry. You’re doing fine.”

“I’ve been with you for three years now, I thought my senses are more stable than that. At least that’s what Blair and Jim said.” Clint sighed: “Can you come with me to see them?”

“Of course. Do you want to do this right now?” Phil hesitated and when Clint nodded, reached for a phone: “Nick, I’ll be by a bit later. Barton’s going to see his brother and I’m not leaving his side.”

Clint grinned and heard Fury reply: “Damn well you shouldn’t let him alone, Cheese. Make sure he’s stable.”

* Past - two years ago

Natasha was hurrying down hallways, looking left and right: “Coulson?” she didn’t get a reply. She turned a few corners, trusting Clint to know when she was coming and not shooting her. 

What she saw when she entered the room that had held Phil’s hideout to supervise the op was a disaster. No one was around, some of their Agents had been killed, the equipment destroyed and no sign of Coulson. A few of their enemies lay dead in the doorway but the shattered windows suggested they knew exactly where they had been.

“Hawkeye?” she asked into her comm but no answer came through. Suddenly, Clint was in the doorway with her and looked across the room before he took a deep breath. His eyes were unfocused and she could feel the energy radiating from him. Shit, she though. Clint had told her hypothetically that this was rare but could happen.

He was feral.

All his senses were sharpened now, his adrenaline making him more dangerous and all his senses were focused on finding his Guide. He took off back where they came from and hurried down the street. Natasha had troubles following him at this speed because he was that fast whereas they were usually on par with their running. Even her serum-altered body had troubles now, which was surprising her quite a bit.

She saw a bike standing on the pavement outside the building and quickly hotwired it. Starting it just as quickly, she followed Clint’s form at the end of the street and reached him a few seconds later. He looked at her before jumping onto the back in a move that made Natasha envious and was so unlike Clint, that she didn’t ask any questions when Clint indicated turns.

They drove half an hour before Clint made her stop and they crept closer to an abandoned building. She at least crept; Clint didn’t even pretend to go slowly. He had his bow and quiver and was already shooting at things through the open windows without having to look once. 

All she could do was have his back while he entered the building and started killing off people with a yell of rage and possessiveness that she had never seen before. This was her first clue as to how much Clint really relied on Phil. How much Coulson meant for Clint though she had no doubt Clint would act like this if she, too, were in grave danger.

They found Phil, bleeding from a wound and it was the blood that made Natasha realize this had been Clint’s trigger. Coulson had been hurt before but not with this much blood.

~*~ Present

They had kept taps on that Baron Wolfgang von Strucke and tired to see what he was up to but it was hard with only a few people to organize anything. Rebuilding SHIELD would take time now that the first needs were being settled. Their newest members needed to be trained where Agent May, Simmons and Clint had readily agreed to supervise the few people they had left. Steve had agreed to train the new recruits as well and all in all they were a bunch of highly skilled people now.

For now, they had mostly moved into the Avengers Tower, at least the Alpha and Beta level had. The others they had recruited were all sorted into sleeping quarters in their primary location.

“You should go see your family,” Melinda said earnestly and sighed: “You need to let them know you’re okay.”

“But am I really okay? We know that Fury stopped all research on GH325 because all test subjects had gone crazy.” Phil argued back: “Maybe Skye, Clint and I just got really lucky.”

“Or maybe the others didn’t go mad as such but stared gaining abilities we don’t consider yet?” Melinda took a seat in front of Phil: “Clint’s ability has always been mental and so has yours. But we do know it increased. What if others got telepathy and it was so overwhelming that it broke their minds? Think of Clint when he was a mess due to us. You already partly had your telepathy and empathy so there was nothing to break your mind with. But not being prepared? I think that could make people go crazy.”

“Clairvoyance, precognition, telekinesis…” Phil thought it over: “Then we’re extremely lucky no one with telekinesis has emerged that has also had a mental breakdown. If that theory is correct, we all could still be developing other abilities. Who is to say that it isn’t some sort of muscle that needs to be flexed?”

“For all our sakes? I hope not. I also think that the first test subjects indicate this would have happened sooner. About why Skye didn’t develop any gifts…I don’t know.”

“There is the believe that some can interact with computers on a basic level that is beyond keyboard. Maybe Skye has formed something like this? I think to remember she did some really advanced coding in a really short time that was nearly impossible.” Phil said and mulled it over: “I’ll let Stark and Banner know of our theories so they can sit down with Simmons and Skye to test the theories. I for my part have enough abilities as it is and I don’t want anymore.”

Melinda smiled at that and stood: “If you don’t go visiting your family soon, I’ll invite them myself.”

“And say what?”

“I’m a friend of Phil’s and he’s too stubborn to come visit you?”

Phil glared at her: “Fair enough. But my family still think I’m an accountant.”

She shrugged: “You got promoted?”

They heard Clint laughing from all hallway and three rooms further down.


	4. Chapter 4

“You know, we could head out to your family. That or ask them to come here and since we live in the Avenger’s Tower they think you help Stark?” Clint asked and Phil sighed. Of course Clint had been listening in earlier and Phil knew that Clint always followed him with his senses.

“I’d rather they not know I work with Stark at first.” Phil said and sighed: “Oregon is not too far off grid, is it?”

Clint played with a knife in his hands but replied easily: “Between our mental ability to talk easily now and our spy training, I think we can manage. Do we take Lola?”

“You act like it’s already a done deal. I cannot just walk up their front porch after months of being missing and bring my boyfriend slash fiancé slash Avenger with me.” Phil said: “We need to let them know I’ve been found first and that I’m good. Then we can plan a visit but I doubt they would understand how I could be leveled MIA being an accountant.”

“That, actually. Well, I said the report should entitle you headed for a business trip and got snatched. Of course no details were given so you can think of where and when. Syria could fit the political troubles needed for such a kidnapping or whatever your want to make it out to.”

“You hoped that I wasn’t dead all this time?” Phil looked surprised and his heart ached with Clint: “I should have fought my mind harder.”

“No, Phil, don’t worry. Trust me, everything is good. I also thought it wise, remember? Your family is smart, I guess?” Clint then titled his head and got a huge smile across his face.

Phil blushed brightly and undid his tie a bit: “Damn, that is a huge wave of arousal and love swapping over right there.”

“Tony and Steve, yes. I was wondering when this would happen but it is rather sudden. And extreme. Like…” Clint said and swallowed. He stood to leave the room: “Uh, I think I need to-“

“Come right here,” Phil said dragged Clint close when the other man was close enough to grab. He dragged Clint straight into his lap and sneaked an arm around his waist, the other behind his neck to drag him down and in for a kiss.

“Shit, Phil,” Clint moaned and moved his hips on Phil’s lap to hopefully drag his cock against Phil’s and get some friction: “This is going to be over soon.”

Phil groaned into Clint’s neck, nodding his agreement while using one hand to unbuckle Clint’s pants and belt and shoved a hand inside to palm him in the tight confinement. Clint was closing his eyes and throwing his head back, moaning low and holding onto Phil’s shoulder. One hand was sneaking down into Phil’s pants to return the favor though Clint was careful not to leave either Phil’s shirt or pants in close range but that was rather out of Clint’s mind when Phil shoved Clint’s cargo pants further down his hips and dragged him another inch closer so their dicks were brushing. 

Phil wrapped his hand about both their cocks and stroked while Clint buried his face in Phil’s neck and breathed in, licking the skin there before catching Phil’s lips in his.

They pretty much came the second they could feel the wave from Tony and Steve, which was actually embarrassing but they did come with them. Clint panted against Phil’s lips, resting his forehead against Phil’s.

“We don’t ever speak about this again and ignore the fact that we couldn’t shield our minds correctly?” Phil asked and reached around Clint to get some tissues and wiped them clean. Phil grimaced at his pants but shrugged and grinned at his lover.

Clint rolled his eyes and nodded: “Uh, hurry up your cleanup because Natasha is coming towards this office.” He said and stood from Phil’s lap, quickly adjusting his pants and moving to sit in front of Phil. Phil buckled up and inched closer to hide his lap behind his desk.

Natasha knocked and entered a moment later: “Hey I –“ she stopped and rolled her eyes: “If you want to hide the fact that you just made out, you should at least smooth your hairs back and Phil, your tie is not straight.”

Clint rolled his eyes but smirked at her happily while Phil schooled his features and looked at her: “Was there a reason?”

“I wanted to tell you first about Tony and Steve…” she said: “But it looks like you know exactly what has happened between them.”

Phil’s mouth twitched which indicated he tried hard not to show a reaction but of course Natasha and Clint both knew him long enough know that tell: “I wish I had rather not. Though it was quite hot.”

Clint hid a grin behind a fist and Natasha smiled: “I thought it was rather amusing that they fought first and then fell into a kiss easily. I was just glad to get Jemma and Leo out of there fast enough before cloths were torn off.”

“Which is probably the moment our emotions bled through.” Clint said easily: “Damn, I hate this. I thought we’d be protected from this stuff now.”

“Maybe its like you said before. I haven’t used my mind in that way in quite a while and I have tried to ignore it but my emotions are tied to yours so maybe the loss of control was a trigger?” Phil asked and was about to stand but Clint’s flick of an eye to his belt was enough to remind Phil of his stained pants.

Natasha seemed to gasp that something was going on but didn’t catch on. She nodded: “Then you need test subjects to try using your powers on.”

“You offering?” Clint asked but Natasha’s serious nod startled him: “Nat-“

“No, you need training and help and I will give it to you. I know you are discreet.” Natasha said and sat down: “Clint, I want Phil to do this first.”

Phil frowned but agreed: “Okay. Here? Now?”

“Does it matter? Just do it.” Natasha said easily and Clint went from his chair to stand beside Phil: “I will get a feed from Phil. I am not able to cut it off anymore. Not after-“

“It’s okay.” Natasha reassured him and looked at Phil. 

Phil then started to focus on Natasha’s mind and was impressed at the first layer. She was trying to focus on an event that had a familiar sense, the Avengers first coming together after the battle of New York, a few days of relaxing and quiet and companionship and telling war stories.

The second layer was more personal and was focusing on Natasha, Phil and Clint’s relationship and their missions stuck somewhere in save houses and their interaction. Phil then felt the emotions Natasha connected with both him and Clint. Clint was Natasha’s brother, Phil like a long lost friend, a mentor she could always trust. Phil was surprised to have the trust that high.

The next layer was more complicated and sheltered. All her pain and suffering throughout the years was protecting the other layers underneath. Phil hesitated to breach through them but he knew he needed the practice and he dug further in.

Clint was flinching away from Phil when he gasped what Natasha had lived through but both men didn’t dwell on this. Phil dug deeper into her mind, down to her basic levels and motivations, her instincts and passion. Phil realized here that she was absolutely loyal to people who earned her trust and she wanted to always help the weaker people.

Phil drew back out of her mind and Natasha blinked: “Huh, that’s it? I barely got the impression that you saw anything.”

Phil was about to reply but Clint interrupted him: “We saw enough. We didn’t snoop around in your brain but Phil got the basics. All your secrets would not be secrets if we needed to pick your mind.”

Natasha was a bit surprised but accepted it: “Good. Anyone else we could mind-pick?”

“Banner? Stark? Rogers?” Clint asked: “They’re the ones that would trust us.”

“My team as well though not Melinda. Most of them don’t have secrets they want to keep.” Phil said.

Natasha rose to her feet: “Whatever the case, no one will know you picked their brain. That is rather good for recon missions.”

Phil shrugged: “Or a good thing when meeting my family?”

Natasha laughed out loud, one of the handful times they had heard her do that: “If you don’t chicken out every time.”

~*~Past – six years ago

“Are you going in?” Phil asked and indicated the room behind the glass. He stepped up to Clint and let their shoulders touch, making sure Clint knew he was there for him.

“I don’t know.” Clint answered: “I just can’t ever work with them. They betrayed me. Everyone up to you in my life did.”

“It’s a wonder you trusted me.” Phil said.

“You never once lied. I can hear heartbeats, you know? I always listen when people talk to me.” Clint said easily: “You never once lied to me. Others, handlers here, have. Director Fury never did lie even if he didn’t say all there was to a topic. So did Maria Hill.”

Clint sighed: “I feel their smugness. Their emotions. They feel like they are the best to have walked in here.”

Phil nodded: “I will go interview them. First Barney, then Trick. Feel free to interrupt and rub it into their faces however you like.”

Clint smiled brightly: “I’ll think about it.”

“Whatever you do, I’m with you. I am glad to have gotten through to you and that you’re here working with us now.” Coulson said and looked Clint straight in the eye: “Whatever they did to you, you’re worth a lot more.”

Clint shrugged like it didn’t matter much and Phil unrolled a paper: “I wanted to give you this before but Trick and Barney interrupted it.”

Clint unrolled the piece of paper and gaped: “Level six? But that means-“

“Nothing will change, Barton. You will have a say about your missions and which handlers you want to accept and which missions you want to go on. You can add your input to your handlers without concern about sounding smart or ignorant.”

Clint smiled: “Still on missions with you and Natasha?”

“Yes, of course. Always. I also included a small thing that Fury tried to fight me on. I will always be with you on missions to ground you.” Phil said easily and entered the room after a short nod.

Clint watched through the glass, not even bothering to switch on the sound of the microphones. SHIELD recorded their conversation anyways and Clint was after all good enough to hear.

“Barney Barton,” Phil said as he entered the room: “I am here to assess the reason for you joining SHIELD.”

“It is good to meet you, Agent –“ Barney said and Coulson didn’t once look up from his file.

“It has been known that you were an orphan and left for the circus early on but then left the circus and lived on your own?” Phil asked straight away.

“Yes. How do you know?”

“You left your brother behind when the opportunity arose that you could earn money.” Phil stated and Barney flinched. Clint nodded happily.

“I left when I knew my brother was save. What does that have to do with anything?” Barney asked and leant back, crossing his arms defensively.

“I am to assess you, Mr Barton. Therefore it is important you answer.” Phil said, without a hint of emotion in his voice. Clint’s fine ears picked up his anxiety though: “Didn’t you leave your brother behind because it was easier?”

“No!” the answer came far too quickly and Clint flinched. They both knew that answering this quickly was not good. The truth was easy to decipher in those words: “I love my brother!”

Clint could hear the blatant lie and knocked on the glass. Phil shifted in his seat, a clear indicator that he had gotten Clint’s meaning. Barney looked strangely.

“I understand intent in leaving people behind when it is convenient. Your emotional state indicates that you could leave a team any time it is getting too difficult for you.”

“Listen, Agent – “ Barney frowned: “I am here because I want to be and I don’t want to leave anyone behind. I am the best damn shooter you can get and you know it.”

Phil looked at him: “We already have good snipers. You are good, true.”

“Look, I want in. I have good aim, the best and I will work hard and as good as I can to be a good agent. Trick and I have worked as a marksman before. We have worked with my brother before.”

“After you had left him at the circus, then years later visited him again after he pulled through a few times?” Phil asked: “You cannot deny that.”

“I came for him.”

“Why should we trust you not to treat us as your convenient place?” Phil asked.

“How do you know so much about me?” Barney asked defensively and getting angry: “Years ago someone asked me to join.”

“You left your own family. You left your own brother to die. I have a serious problem with that alone,” Phil said seriously and turned to look at the glass.

Clint was enjoying the show but he knew Coulson gave him the chance to come in now. Clint took the chance.

“Hey brother,” Clint said and entered: “Remember the op four years ago? Well, you left me on that rooftop.”

Barney gaped and was about to move but Clint shook his head: “Sit down, if you don’t want to get shot.”

“But you-“

“Agent Barton, do you have any concerns about hiring your brother?” Coulson asked neutrally.

“No. I wouldn’t ever work with him and you know me. I worked with anyone even though I behaved odd. I would never ever work with him.” Clint said and shrugged: “Sir, I’ll be off, Sitwell and Hill invited me to level six clearance party. I hope you’ll come along?”

“Oh course, Clint. Let me just dismiss Trick as well. I value the input of a senior Agent enough to not recruit them.” Phil said honestly: “Will you escort them off the premises with me?”

“My pleasure, Sir. I still owe you from recruiting me after all.” Clint said and looked at his brother: “Goodbye, Barney.”

Barney was gaping openly at his brother: “You worthless piece of-“

“Shut up!” Phil said and added: “You are not to talk to Agent Barton much less call him worthless. He has better abilities than you could ever have.”

Barney gaped but closed his mouth. Clint indicated for Barney to get up and his brother did. Phil indicated the hallway.

“What about Trick?” Barney asked and Clint answered: “Agent Hill has spoken to him. He is escorted outside as well.”

They walked the hallway in silence and Barney sneered when a few junior and senior agents greeted both Clint and Phil respectfully. Halfway down, Hill and Sitwell came out, leading Trick off and Trick looked at Clint, surprised.

“You!? And you don’t let your brother join?” Trick spit.

Clint didn’t reply. It was Hill that answered: “You left one of your team behind. We at SHIELD don’t. Agent Barton has reached a high level recently that only twenty-eight have reached so far. We value his input and he said you are not suitable.”

Trick sneered: “Everything he can do he’s learned from us!”

“I learned from the circus and a highly trained assassin. A big part I learned from the circus. The most, those Agents surrounding you taught me.” Clint replied: “And I’m even more deadly now.”

Natasha said from above before coming down from the ceiling: “Budapest.” 

“Kandahar,” Hill commented.

“Sarajevo,” Sitwell said easily.

“Prague.” Clint replied.

“St. Petersburg.” Coulson said: “Highest body count by close proximity.”

All agents snickered and Trick and Barney shared a look before looking scared. 

Clint said, once they reached the door: “We’ll always look out where you are and what you are up to. And by god, you are not the best shots out there.”

Clint turned around and walked away.

~*~ Present

“I made a mistake with Barney back when he came to SHIELD.” Clint said suddenly and Phil looked up at him with an eyebrow raised: “I should have ignored him. He doesn’t matter anymore.”

“You needed to gloat in front of him to feel better. I understand you, Clint. I allowed you to be in this interrogation, I wanted you to know he was there.” Phil said and shrugged: “I am in your mind, remember? I know that Barney treated you like shit when you were kids. He always bullied you, actually hit you a few times but always called you names and made you feel worthless. This was important for you to stand up to him. You never did it again with anyone else, you don’t think you’re better than anyone else besides in that one moment.”

“You really think so?” Clint asked uncertain but the feelings from Phil washed over him and made it better. He could always believe Phil even if he doubted his actions a few times. When Phil nodded, Clint relaxed back into the mattress next to Phil: “I want to go to Germany and scout that place Wolfgang von Strucke is hiding at.”

Phil replied easily and not surprised: “Natasha and you do the scouting. Tony does check the systems, Skye hacks into the feeds. I’ll be close by with Steve and Bruce.”

“Sounds good. Details when we’re there.” Clint said and yawned: “Off to your family before or after that?”

“Before sounds better.”

“The worst comes first?” Clint teased him but Phil didn’t deny it. Clint had a point after all.

Phil sighed and uncapped his pen: “Do that paperwork on our relationship already. In case –“

“I got it. But I doubt anyone here would let that happen.” Clint said easily.

“But if something were to happen to me, again, in a regular hospital or wherever, my family is closest and you would not have any jurisdiction and I don’t want that.”

“I’ll show them our tattoo.” Clint replied but got a stack of papers, Phil realized those were the correct form and Clint didn’t even have to look for them, he just knew.

“Clint, did you ever check where those forms were stored?” Phil asked and Clint blinked at him, surprised before looking down at the forms: “Uh, no. And that makes this rather weird.”

“Do you think our minds are constantly connected even these small details?” Phil asked with a frown.

Clint started signing the forms: “We should make tests about the range we have. I mean we talked in our minds recently and maybe this has a close range.”

“I somehow doubt it.” Phil argued: “If this is in a magical world or spirit world, it would connect us anywhere on the planet.”

They stayed silent for a while and Clint filled out his forms, signed them and added a few details. Then passed the papers along to Phil and in return got Phil’s papers to sign as well and fill out a few missing details. This would make it foolproof for anyone outside of SHIELD to accept them.

“So, you really want to marry me?” Phil asked carefully neutral but Clint could see right through him even without the psychic link they had going on between them.

Barton blinked twice: “Do I really – What makes you even ask such a stupid question? Where the hell is that coming from?”

Phil was about to reply but Clint stopped him: “I fear I already know.” He sighed: “God, I can’t seem to have a single secret anymore. Not that I want but planning a present or something will really be annoying.”

“We should ask Blair if anything like this happened to them.” Phil said easily.

“Are you nuts? Between the GH325 and our rather intense relationship, I don’t think it’s a good idea to ask them. They never seemed to be in a relationship like that. I never could smell anything or feel emotional connections that were sexual between them. But of course, those could change.”

Phil nodded and considered it for a moment. He looked through a few folders that he dragged close and shrugged: “We could stop by after visiting my family?”

“There are three known Sentinels that we know of and you think they would let us go? That Blair, anxious, excited Blair would let us go? He’s a scientist at heart. That and they live in Seattle, not Oregon.” Clint said: “I don’t think we can get enough time off for both. Not so soon after this whole disaster.”

“I am the director and technically, this is partly related to SHIELD. If we cannot function anymore or be separated for ops, we need to know that.” He stood then, straightened his tie and buttoned his jacket: “I’ll go and check on Tony and Steve, see if they are good with their relationship.”

“About that,” Clint said and followed Phil out of the room but he continued a silent conversation in their heads due to others being close by: //What about evening Tony’s life expectancy to balance Steve’s?//

//Good question. I will ask Tony about this but I am sure between Bruce and Tony, the serum will be administered before too long even without our consent. Not that they would need it if they are serious enough.// Coulson said and looked over to Clint. A few new recruits looked at them strangely while Billie Koenig smirked at them, knowingly.

Clint then indicated the ceiling: //I’ve got to check on something.// before Phil gave him a small lift up into the air vents:: //But check Tony through anyways. Besides, maybe this whole GH325 does something for Tony’s heart?//

Phil headed over into the lab area: “Tony?” the other man looked up from his latest gadgets while Steve, from the sidelines, looked up as well. He had the latest books around him as well as a StarkPad with a few songs, movies and books.

“Ah, Director,” Tony said and looked around: “Here to see the latest tech we’re inventing?”

“Actually, no. I wanted to talk about the both of you.” Coulson said plainly and watched both men blush.

“Sir, I don’t think –“ Steve started and Coulson interrupted him with a look while Tony protested: “How are you aware of this? I don’t think this is any of your business.”

Coulson grinned at Tony: “Clint and I got a rather emotional impression on the both of you.”

“What?” Steve asked while Tony looked startled: “How?”

It was Phil’s turn to blush but at that moment Clint silently made his way down behind Tony and said: “We’re empathic, remember?”

Tony spun around startled while Steve grinned at him and Clint smirked at the millionaire: “Fuck, Barton! Don’t scare a man with a serious heart condition like this!”

Clint barely shrugged: “Phil and I got a rather violent reaction to you guys. We don’t quite know how to block it fully yet but that first bout was rather intense.”

Steve blushed a nice shade while Tony overcompensated: “Yes, well, aren’t we all glad of this conversation and Steve and my relationship?”

“Tony,” Steve replied quietly: “Let them talk. We know where we stand and we’ve talked about this.”

“You guys didn’t-“ Clint shut his mouth then: “Sorry, I, crap.”

Coulson grinned a bit: “We’re not here to judge. We’re here to assess your relationship and say we are sorry for noticing this all which we are not supposed to notice.”

“As far as I know, that GH325 stuff is enhancing this all.” Tony said: “I know this is weird.” Tony was surprisingly quiet about this but his mind was obviously racing.

Steve stepped a bit closer: “You want to check our minds?”

“No, we want to check Tony’s mind.” Coulson replied: “GH325 is not off the table.”

Tony’s cup of coffee fell from his fingers: “What? You want to give me the GH325?”

It was Jarvis who replied: “May I remind you Sir, that you voted in favor for partners to receive the GH325 after consideration from Director Coulson and Agent Barton?”

Tony snapped his mouth shut: “No, Jarvis. Thank you. I …yes, of course. I just didn’t think I would end up being on display to the both of you and that you plan on reading my intent if I don’t even know what that might be like, less than twenty-four hours after starting a relationship which for me is rather unusual in the first place though I am committed to this and Steve help me-“

Steve did by kissing Tony to make him shut up. Clint and Coulson both smirked: //Captain America in a gay relationship with Tony Stark and using PDAs to shut him up? Someone sure will turn over in their graves at that thought.//

Phil shot him an amused look and smirked back: //Jarvis is watching? Good. We can plaster their walls with that image.//

Tony looked rather dazed when Steve stepped back but the small blush on Steve’s cheeks indicated more than a simple kiss. Clint tried really hard not to feel the emotions but they were seeping over from Phil who had no means whatsoever at shielding himself yet. 

Steve said after clearing his throat: “Phil, I’m sure the sweep will be sufficient though maybe to ease Tony’s mind, could we wait a while longer?”

Phil nodded: “Of course. Just, you know, don’t take it without supervision. If you only want Bruce around, leave me a note and its fine.”

Tony raised his eyebrow at the trust that was shown here but nodded: “Good, that’s settled then.”

“We were wondering if you could help us,” Clint said next and shrugged a bit: “We kind of need to know where our limits are. With that connected thing and stuff.”

Tony thought it over: “You want to measure your EMF or brain activity? Okay, I have a few rooms down at the Tower that are leaded. That shields pretty decent. The second we will try, one of you takes my suit, flies across the world in a few minutes and we check whether you still feel the connection?”

Phil frowned but had no better idea. The scientist then made a gesture and a few minutes later Bruce appeared: “An experiment, Jarvis said. What’s it about?”

~*~ Past – thirty years ago

“Clinton! Stop playing and get to clean up!” the female voice called through the small house and then added: “Barney, go help your brother!”

“But Mom-“ Barney was about to reply but was interrupted: “Now!” the darker voice of their father bellowed.

Clint dragged his few action figures away into the box by his bed and shared a look with Barney. Barney slapped him on the head: “Stop getting me into trouble, asshole.”

Clint frowned and quietly made his way down the stairs: “Mom, Barney hit me again.”

She turned and looked towards the ceiling for a second before smiling: “I know, honey. I’m sorry. He’ll get to clean up the dishes later.”

Clint tilted his head: “Dad is mad at you. Why is he mad at you?”

Surprised, she actually dropped a fork: “You can hear him?”

“Yes, why?”

“Because no one should be able to. Your range of hearing is better than anyone else’s.” She seemed to smile but was miles away with her thoughts: “We’ll have to train your hearing in private. No one, not even your father and brother can know about this, okay?”

Clint nodded and flicked his eyes to the door: “They’re coming for dinner Mom.”

She looked at the food behind her and nodded: “Take a seat honey.”

*

Clint was sitting with his back against the wall. He was keeping the whole room in sight because those other kids were staring at him. He hated it here. The silence was deafening and he felt like his senses were dimming.

He saw Barney laughing madly and frowned. He could read his lips: “That fucker is deaf. Our parents died and he is useless.”

Barney had punched him a few times over the last few months. Ever since their parents had died and Clint was trying hard not to keep holding on the thread of memories he had left. He remembered the smell, the voice and the soft skin of his parents before the car accident had happened. Clint had tried to warn them, had screamed while his ears had focused on listening out for help around them when the loud crash had happened.

The doctors tried to explain to him that he damaged his ears in the accident. Clint had not been able to read anything but now he had made an effort to learn sign language and read lips and papers and books.

Barney’s punch hurt less than the last and Clint wondered if all his senses were getting worse but his sight because he couldn’t taste or smell as good as before.

Clint was woken a few nights later by Barney who looked beaten and bloody. He dragged Clint by the hand and took him away with him, through starvation and hurt, freezing weather all the way to a circus.

~*~ Present

“So, how was flying the Iron Man Suit?” Natasha asked and gracefully sat down next to Clint. Phil was across the room, having lunch with Melinda and Maria.

Clint shrugged: “Okay I guess. I could move it without problems but that probably was Jarvis stabilizing the flight and all that. I got a strange feeling inside that suit though. No peripheral vision. I wouldn’t have been able to do anything and relied on Jarvis.”

“But in case something happens, would you be able to fight in it?” Tony asked from the sidelines and sat down with them, followed by Bruce and Steve.

“Yeah, of course. But it would need getting used to and besides, I’m more deadly without it. Maybe we should fit Phil a suit though.”

“So he doesn’t get killed again?” Steve asked and winced when Clint’s face slipped.

“I think it would help to fit you all with a suit. Well, except Bruce and Steve here. Even though the GH325 changes you, Barton, I don’t think it would be prudent to have humans without genetic mutations around to protect you from the worst. Maybe I can come up with a smaller whole body suit that shields you from blows and absorbs the impact.”

“Add those squirrel-lookalike flight parachutes?” Clint said and indicated what he meant. He then said: “Wingsuit. Could be handy for me.”

Tony got a glistening in his eyes and nodded: “Brilliant idea. I’ll come up with something for you three. Don’t worry. You’re my fellow Avengers.”

“Are you sure you can convince Coulson to this?” Banner asked with a frown.

Clint smirked: “Oh, he already is convinced. That’s still kind of the problem between us. We don’t actually know where a thought comes from. Like, the wingsuit. I didn’t remember what it was called and Phil, who’s having a conversation over there, added it. Like a flickering thought you have and it just, seeps over to us. I could tell you what they’re talking about without using my senses.”

“I bet than can be weird.”

“Like you wanted to head to the bathroom but don’t quite know if you went or your partner? And you both end up there? Its awkward even for us.” Clint said and shoveled some food into his mouth.

“Barton! Shut up!” Phil called across the room though of course to get Clint’s attention he wouldn’t have to.

Clint flipped him the bird without looking up from his food.

*


	5. Chapter 5

“Director Coulson, Agent Barton, there are two men, Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg to see you.” Jarvis announced.

“Wait, what? How did they know we’re here?” Clint asked with a frown: “We just moved into the Avengers Tower yesterday.”

Phil shrugged: “Send them up here, Jarvis.”

Jarvis gave a confirmation and Clint stood and walked over into the living room. The apartment they had in the tower was huge. Much like Tony’s whole floor but Phil and Clint had insisted on sharing a floor with Natasha. She had picked the western part of the tower, which was split in length. They shared a common room right where the elevators arrived so no one would have to go into their apartments exactly.

Guest Suits were a level below them, Steve and Bruce a level above while the main living space of the Avengers was two levels above, one beneath Tony’s.

//I thought we wanted to see them after your patents?// Clint said in his thoughts because he knew Jim was close enough to hear them.

//I emailed them and told them we wanted to stop by for a visit. I didn’t think they would come down here much less know where to find us. That and we have Avengers up there who aren’t exactly behaving normal.// Phil said worriedly.

//You know they’re both cops and can keep quiet if we ask them to?//

Phil frowned down at his training pants and t-shirt and Clint rolled his eyes: “Its half past ten on a Sunday. I don’t think they expect you to show up in a suit.”

Phil’s face then settled on his Agent Coulson face and Clint frowned at him that the man would steel himself like this against supposedly friends. The elevator chimed softly to announce the presence and an excited Blair stepped out: “Man, guys, you live here in the tower? This is rather amazing.”

Jim’s hand settled on Blair’s back and he visibly grounded the younger man: “Calm down, Chief. They just live in a skyscraper.”

“The Tony Stark Tower, Jim!” Blair argued back. Jim smiled and turned to Phil and Clint when they had reached them: “Hello Agent Coulson, Agent Barton.”

“Detectives,” Phil replied with a firm handshake and Clint followed suit: “It’s good to see you, though I must say we are rather surprised.”

Blair waved it off: “We had a few days off and thought for a holiday trip. We’ve been here in the city for a few days now and we wanted to explore a bit first before we were like, we could come and visit you and spare you the trip, that is if you have the time now.”

“Of course, Blair,” Clint said: “And by the way, Coulson here is the director now but we told you before Phil and Clint is fine.”

“Right,” Jim said and looked around, using his senses: “You have it rather quiet in here.”

“Tony insisted,” Clint said before thinking twice. The surprised eyes from Jim and Blair were enough and Clint shrugged while Phil closed his eyes because they were detectives and not that stupid.

“You are Hawkeye.” Jim said then and indicated Clint’s callouses on the fingers that he would be bale to see, as well as smell the gunpowder from both of them the day before.

Phil and Clint both stayed silent and Blair looked up, surprised: “Really? Oh man this is so cool! I mean we heard about the work but all footage was mostly of Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America. I knew they had a marksman on the team but that it was you?”

Clint smirked a bit and even Phil looked over to his fiancé and smirked: “He’s just that good. The only problem really is that he thinks he can fly.”

“Tony’s been there to catch me.” Clint replied: “And if he can’t, there was Thor and then there was the Hulk.”

Coulson pinched the bridge of his nose and was about to reply when Clint said: “It was you who died.”

Blair startled and Jim grunted in surprise: “What?”

“That is part of what we wanted to talk to you about,” Phil said: “I was dead for five days.”

“Five days!? But man, how can you be still alive then? How the fuck did Clint manage-“ Blair shouted but it was Jim again to calm him down with a touch.

“Blair, they work for a secret government. I’m sure they have their resources.” Jim looked for confirmation and both Agents nodded. He addressed them: “Did you have a mental, a spirit bond before then?”

“Yes. On a mission that was rather scary, Clint collapsed from the mental weight and asked me to bond with him. The meditation work was done when he had healed up and we woke up in the same realm in the spirit world and connected. We’re about to married soon.”

Jim startled a bit in surprise and Blair looked away from his sentinel quickly, hiding his eyes. Phil noticed and shared a look with Clint who took over speaking:

“We had a bond ever since that shared spirit walk. The year I thought Phil was dead, I wouldn’t have survived without mental blockers that a scientist came up with. We need you to compare our bond to and notice the differences.”

“That will be rather interesting.” Blair said and switched from anxious man to a clear-headed scientist that still held a light in his eyes: “The spiritual bond, what exactly does it entitle?”

And they talked about all that had happened to them thus far.

“So you coming back from the dead is rather miraculous and I get that you cannot speak about the how.” Blair said easily: “The spirit world is just a means of staying in touch with your partner and nature. Maybe it shows strength in your abilities that seep into the spirit world. I mean we never tested your senses in comparison to Jim’s. Maybe there are different levels of a sentinel, depending on genes and lifestyle and environment? Seattle is rather small compared to New York.”

“That would be weird,” Clint said and shrugged: “I don’t want to be special beyond what I have.”

“No, you are special. You’re the third Sentinel we have come across and you found your Guide. The bond you two share is more intense than what Jim and I have but that might be because we have a friendship rather than a relationship. The sexual component between you definitely factors in.”

Phil was not blushing but Clint knew that was due to a good control they had and nothing less.

They were about to come to a stop when Clint suddenly stood, Jim already turning into one direction. Clint moved with his Hawkeye confidence and arrived the door to Natasha’s suit before the door opened: “Nat, we have visitors.” He said and indicated the couches and coffee table littered with papers from Blair and various drinks.

She looked at him and was about to speak when Clint shook his head: “He’s like me. Be aware of that.”

She touched his arm carefully: “Thank you, its okay.” She rounded the corner then and greeted Phil: “Morning Phil. Did you manage to sleep at all last night? I felt like the ceiling was coming down.”

“We have a Hulk up there. What did you expect?” Phil replied and thus had answered Natasha’s silent question about whether they were trustworthy and if they knew about the Avengers. She nodded courtly. Phil indicated: “Jim Ellison, Sentinel, and his Guide Blair Sandburg.”

Both men looked at her and she smiled politely: “This is Natasha Romanov,” Phil continued but it was Jim who said: “She’s the Widow.”

Natasha was surprised and looked at Clint who answered for her: “She is.”

“Okay, do you have anywhere we could test you abilities? I mean, the whole Spirit World is rather amazing and if you can form a bond, Jim and I should try to get there as well but Jim doesn’t have that much a mental ability.”

“I can’t be bothered with the meditation. Maybe I do have a empathy somehow since I have a rather good gut feeling about people?” Jim asked with a shrug.

Clint and Jim both suddenly titled their heads and Phil was already up and moving: “Tony again.”

Blair looked startled: “You know that because Clint sensed him? This is amazing!”

Jim looked rather jealous at the tight bond Clint and Phil had, Natasha realized and would speak with Clint about this later.

“Yeah not so much when your thoughts and emotions get tangled and you’re wondering whether you are going insane or if it’s even still you that had the thought or the other part of your soul.” Clint replied: “We cannot yet separate whose feelings we get.”

“I may have a way to help you with that,” Blair said: “But therefore we would have to test the abilities.”

Tony opened the elevator door then and walked in: “Ah, my fellow Avengers-“ he stopped: “Jarvis, why haven’t I been informed they have a visitor?”

“It was not necessary that you know, Sir. They have been included by Director Coulson about the Avengers, Sir.” The voice replied making both Jim and Blair jump.

“Well, then. As I was about to say, we had a small incident with the Hulk last night but Steve and I managed.” Tony shrugged and waved his hand around: “You know, thank you for not coming up to help us.”

“You got him under control, right?” Natasha asked and shrugged: “Clint and I could not have helped and I doubt Coulson would have felt anything but rage.”

Tony looked at them for a moment: “Yes that is not the point, actually but I see where you fear being crushed.”

Clint stood up then: “Did you finish the suits?”

“What suits,” Natasha asked neutrally and looked at Phil. Phil smiled: “The Wingsuit with the protective suits.”

“Yes, I remember. But we only talked about this the day before yesterday.” Natasha was a bit surprised: “And you did the remaining tests with the distance.”

“We haven’t gotten around to do that yet. Blair wanted to do some more tests with Jim and I so the mental tests have to be scheduled after that.” Clint replied easily.

Blair frowned: “You haven’t told us about the mental tests yet.”

Phil sighed: “We’ve been talking for the last three hours and haven’t gotten around yet. This is rather complex.”

“Looks like it,” Jim replied and shrugged: “I have never gotten close to the mental levels you have. No matter how bland you described it.”

Tony walked back to the elevator: “Time for the scientists to play. Banner is already somewhere.”

“He’s alright?” Phil asked but Clint was already tilting his head and nodded: “Heartbeat regular. He’s talking to Jane about the Tesseract.”

~*~ Past – four years ago

“Ah, Phil! Come on in, honey,” Hanna said and let him in: ”How have you been?”

“I’m good, Mom, you’ve only spoken to me two weeks ago.” Phil replied patiently and entered the house: “Thomas and John already here?”

“Yes. Mary couldn’t come, sadly. Sarah and Alice are also here.”

“Wow, they must be, what, three and about six now?” Phil wondered: “Time really does fly.”

“Yes, and before you know it, its too late to have any kids.” Hanna said with that voice and Phil winced.

“Hello there, son. Didn’t hear you coming in,” Joe said from the doorway and was piggybacking Sarah: “Got here okay?”

“The weather is a bit troubling but otherwise, no problems.” Phil agreed and pressed a kiss to Hanna’s cheek while moving over to pat his father on the back. He loved them even though they hurt him with their words quite a bit.

“Hey everyone,” Phil said and walked into the living room. Thomas, John, Anna and a new woman were sitting there, saying a hello back. John stood then and indicated the woman with him: “Phil, meet my girlfriend Jamie. Jamie, my big brother Phil.”

“Nice to meet you,” Phil said easily and held out his hand politely. She accepted and smiled at him: “Likewise.”

“Uncle Phil!” Alice called out and hugged her uncle’s leg. He smiled down at her and knelt down to her level: “Hello Alice. Tell me, how do you like school?”

“It’s okay,” she replied: “But I love my teacher and my best friend Lara is there as well!” she replied excitedly before the doll in her one hand drew her attention away from Phil.

“My dork brother, still coming back here all alone,” Thomas teased and Phil closed his eyes briefly. He had left Natasha and Clint at SHEILD, Natasha just having been retrieved from her kidnap and torture. He wished he was there with them rather than spending time with his family.

Phil steeled himself, half a Coulson mask slipping on and mentally thinking he was undercover, he stood and ignored him easily.

*

That evening, Joe dragged John and Thomas with him to the local bar for a few drinks and to let the women handle the Christmas preparations.

“So, Phil, how’s your accounting firm?” Joe asked seriously and got snickers from John and Thomas. Phil ignored them: “Pretty good. I get to travel overseas a lot, which makes frequent visits difficult. A lot of branches are in third world countries where we try to help the people there.”

“I bet the most action you get is the stapler running out and having to get new clips,” John said with a smirk and fist bumped Thomas. Joe cut them a look though.

“How about a nice lady in your life?” Joe asked, still seriously interested.

Phil looked at his father with a neutral expression and he knew Joe was getting frustrated that Phil didn’t at all react to any of his words with his old tells. Phil decided to throw him for a loop: “I’m gay and there might be someone.”

The bar’s whole noise level dropped down to zero. 

“You’re a fag!? Seriously?” someone from behind them said and Phil winced. He hated these small towns even when it meant being their own. More so if that guy was an old classmate and bully of Phil.

Phil calmly took the beer mat from under his glass of light beer and bended it in half: “Yes, Cameron, I’m gay.” He said without turning to look from his glass. The reflection was good enough to see when he would be coming to throw a punch.

Thomas was still baffled enough not to have replied. John shrugged like another weirdness wasn’t anything new wile Joe looked right out disappointed but thankfully not disgusted.

The hit came that second then but Phil was already out of his seat and had struck Cameron with the beer mat and watched him going down out cold. 

The guy next to Cameron was coming at him, so was a guy from the right and Phil touched the first guy’s wrist, puling at it enough so that he lost his footing and stumbled straight into the other guy trying to hit him. Those men went down and Phil grabbed the back of one of the chairs closest to him and placed it over both men. He sat back down on the spot and knew both underneath him would not be bale to get out until he stood.

“Damn, what did they teach you at the Army?” John asked with a startled laugh: “And no way are you not with the army anymore because those moves need practice.”

Phil looked at them coolly: “I am no longer with the Army. Their dating choices and mine don’t go along well.”

“I remember you were with Special Forces when we headed to the circus back then.”

Phil’s smile of remembering Clint was the only emotion they had seen so far from him: “Yes. I stayed with them for six years.”

“No way I am going to tell Mom that.” John said: “Anything of this.”

“Word,” Thomas and Joe agreed.

~*~ Present

They made their way to the labs and squeezed into the rather spacious elevator. They stayed silent for a moment before Tony spoke: “Jarvis, please include the guests to the security protocol for the labs. Authorize them to visit the labs if someone else is there at any given time.”

“Detective Jim Ellison and Detective Blair Sandburg have been added. Please provide their fingerprints when entering the laboratories.” Jarvis replied.

“Wow, this AI is so cool, man!” Sandburg said surprised and grinned at Stark: “Rather amazing system there, Mr Stark.”

“Tony or Stark is fine. Mr Stark was my father.” Tony replied easily and made his way over towards the entrance of the laboratories. He indicated Ellison’s hand: “Palm onto the glass please.”

Jim followed suit and the handprint was scanned and registered. Blair followed suit and watched in amazement as the transparent glass showed his ID and hand scan. After that they entered the lab and registered that all Avengers were registered by a chip and a small retina scan that tracked their movements.

“Why are you tracked by chip?” Blair asked interested: “Shouldn’t you simply use a hand scan like we did?”

“Jarvis is monitoring the health and movements of the Avengers automatically and anywhere on this planet. I made sure no one can hijack one of us or kidnap them. The device we have implanted shows where they are and their physiology is rather unique so the scans can be done remotely. The retina scan is just a precaution. Of course, no one would need all those feeds but the Avengers have access to anywhere within this building.” Tony explained: “All other agents are simply tracked by their chips and are monitored for health. They don’t have access to all laboratories though. Jarvis is not triggering alarms but will send the Avengers if someone is breaking in or removing a chip.”

“That is some really fancy security.” Jim said and tilted his head: “Someone is talking about who we are.”

Clint grinned widely: “Oh, that’s Steve.”

“Steve-“ Blair started but got big eyes: “Captain America?”

“The one and only,” he walked through another set of doors, trailing after Tony. They entered the lab where Bruce was looking through a microscope while Steve looked at them with a curious expression. Tony sauntered over to him and kissed him.

Blair’s jaw dropped and Jim looked at them with a frown but shrugged it off. Phil dragged Clint close and hugged the other man, hiding his face in the archer’s neck. He took a deep breath but it was Natasha who cleared her throat: “Guys, you’re too close around Clint and Phil.”

Steve blushed but Tony smirked: “They will have got to get used to this.”

“I would love to never feel any of your emotions ever again, thank you very much. Its not like there is a manual on how to turn off your empathy.” Clint’s snarky reply made both men look rather guilty. 

Blair took charge: “Actually, there might just be. This empathy may be pretty close to how you may use a sense. If you can figure out how to control your senses correctly, like, dial them down, maybe that could work.”

“I’ve read about the dial down in your original research folders. I ever figured out what exactly those were about.” Clint said before looking away in shame.

“I understand why you stole them. Don’t worry, its all water under the bridge and all.” Blair replied.

~*~ Past – twelve years ago

Clint shook himself and rolled his shoulders to relax. He needed to make the shot and climb into the university. He had followed the man around long enough to know that the papers were most likely at the university.

Silently, he shot the arrow with the rope on it and adjusted it on the nearby tree. He took of his shoes and stored them in the tree before making his way up the rope and balancing out. The distance was greater than he was used to in the circus but Clint managed to walk up to the second story window without much trouble. He knocked in the glass easily before carefully making his way into the office. 

It was littered with papers everywhere, antique artifacts everywhere as well as dust bunnies. Clint’s eyes were easily adjusting to the dark and he checked the papers. Nowhere did he find the papers he was looking for until his eyes fell on a safe. Kneeling, he focused his hearing and turned the dial, hearing it click easily. The sense of touch was amazing and helped as well.

The door sprung open and Clint leafed through the papers. The whole research was there and he snatched it, quickly storing it in his quiver. Silently, he made his way out again, taking the rope with him after he left. 

* Past – seven years ago

“Wait, Blair Sandburg is here?” Clint asked Phil with a frown: “You know I have his research papers, right?”

“Yes, and its time to give him an apology and explain and to hand them back.” The reply was coming from Phil underneath him. Clint had hidden in the air vents again and was looking down from directly above Phil. The other man had taken to know where Clint was even if he was there before Phil even entered the room. Clint didn’t know how the other man always knew where he was but that must be Coulson’s super power as a spy. That and of course turning anything into a weapon.

Clint gritted his teeth: “Fair enough. Just hope the Detectives don’t throw me into prison.”

“They won’t. Now, come down here. They’ll be here any minute.”

“Why couldn’t we invite them to my apartment?” Clint asked and removed the casing of the air vent before dropping down and pulling the casing into place. He landed on Phil’s desk carefully, tipping around the paper stacks and dropping to the floor with a backflip. 

Coulson eyes him funnily but didn’t comment on the move: “I asked them to come here because it is important and this place is officially government. Both men are Detectives therefore I thought it better than your apartment.”

Clint nodded and settled onto the couch in the corner. He relaxed back before sitting up: “They’re here. An agent is escorting them from the elevators.” Clint said and tilted his head: “And the Sentinel heard me announce you. His Guide is rather funny.”

Coulson nodded: “Lets get some answers for you then and how I can help you best.”

~*~ Present

Exhausted, Clint relaxed back into the bathtub and inched down until only his neck was looking out. He closed his eyes and followed his senses to the others. Natasha was what sounded like reading a book or doing paperwork. Her heartbeat was steady and relaxed. Clint reached out for Bruce then and smiled a bit when he realized the other man was pacing up and down in front of Elizabeth Ross’ door. Huh, interesting. He had realized Bruce’ feelings for Elizabeth. He was an empath, no way he couldn’t realize that. Elizabeth herself was able to show as much as hide the feelings deep inside her but with Bruce, she seemed to come to life, as much as her work with the SHIELD department allowed herself to do so.

Next he sought out Thor. The man was loud even though he barely spoke. His heart was like thunder itself and Clint found the man’s heartbeat soothing. He focused on Thor briefly, knowing him to be around Jane. Quickly following Jane, he focused on Darcy. The woman was fast asleep and Clint left her alone. 

He focused on Coulson’s team next though they were half a city away. He tried to filter the thoughts, tried to make it all the way to feel the heartbeats of those that meant a lot to Phil. He failed.

The water around him was moving when Phil joined him in the tub and his hand settled on his chest. Clint now reached Skye’s heartbeat. He frowned and knew that while testing, Phil hadn’t once touched him. Seemed like they needed to do the tests again with Blair and Phil around. He checked on May, Hill, Simmons and Fitz. Those were the only ones though because the others may be SHIELD but they weren’t team.

Coming back closer, he focused on Steve and Tony. He quickly withdrew before realizing they were rather intimate, their heartbeats faster than normal. With a blush, he opened his eyes and looked at Phil: “They’re worse than –“

“Nope, they aren’t. When we first got together, we took off a week.” Phil replied fondly: “How are your senses? Exhausted after the whole testing?”

“Yes. Though I realized when you touch me, my range expands. Phil, I could check up on your team at the new HQ, that’s seven miles away.” Clint said with a frown: “Earlier I stopped at three miles.”

“That is remarkable. But Blair has a point with those dials. We should practice to set them up for both of us. I think it is a rather good idea and I would be able to control the empathy as well.”

“Not only empathy. The mind reading bit can be rather annoying at times.” Clint took a breath and dipped his head under water. The relaxed a bit and Phil’s heartbeat seemed more focused now. The hum of the water around him as relaxing and blocked out all the other noises without him having to try too hard.

When he emerged back again, Phil had shifted enough so that he was resting in one of the big tub’s seats. He had his head back and eyes closed. Clint watched him and traced the tattoo under his fingertips, feeling every bump the needle had left in the skin.

They kept quiet, Clint resting his head on Phil’s chest then and relaxed. Phil was nearly asleep when he suddenly sat up, Clint with him and both groaned in annoyance: “Seriously, again?” Phil shook his head: “I can live without knowing who is in bed with whom.”

Clint sighed tiredly but his cock stirred. Phil pressed a kiss to his head since Clint’s head rested on his shoulder. He was interested as well but using another of their friends’ love and lust was not really their style. Thankfully Clint didn’t move either.

Eventually, the emotional rollercoaster from Elizabeth and Bruce was over, the water was still nicely warm and both men were a bit more alive after the stress than before.

Their own bodies hadn’t given up on their lust and Clint moved his head up and kissed Phil, battling their tongues together and slowly heating it up.

Phil pushed at Clint until the other man was back in his seat while he moved to straddle Clint in the jetted tub. He braced himself on the rim behind Clint’s head but dived down to kiss Clint more and deeply. Clint’s hands were at his hips, holding him steady for a moment before Clint trailed his hand forward to wrap around Phil’s cock. 

//Want you in me, Clint// Phil projected his thoughts and reached over to the side where they had waterproof lube. Thank god for a billionaire who planned for everything. They had first blushed when they had seen the lube the day before but were rather thankful now. 

Clint was a bit surprised but didn’t mind. They had switched places many times before but Phil usually fucked him though. He loved being inside Phil though but sometimes it was just too much for his senses. This was the first time after Phil had been dead though.

He used his fingers quickly to spread his fiancé because he wouldn’t last long no matter what. Simply burying his fingers in that tight body was enough to make him close to coming.

Phil realized it and moved back a bit, stilling his hands: “Is it too much?”

“Give me a second. My fingers inside you alone feel like my dick inside you.” Clint replied but passed the lube to Phil: “Think you can coat me here in the water?”

A smile was the only reply before Phil’s hand was wrapped around his cock, down below the surface of the water and stroked him. Clint closed his eyes and moaned but held it in. A few second later, Phil was moving above him and sliding down on Clint’s cock.

“Fuck!” Clint called out and threw his head back, moaning: “You’re going to kill me.”

“I hope not,” Phil replied and moved his hips before Clint’s fingers gripped his hips tightly and helped him to move perfectly.

They panted together, Clint moving his hips up to slip into Phil’s body all the way. Clint wrapped his hand around Phil’s cock, stroked him a few times in time with his trusts until the older man came across Clint’s chest. The emotional pleasure triggered Clint’s release and with a few stuttered thrusts, Clint came inside his lover.

*

Blair made a sort of test for them all to practice and check their senses. Again. Clint took it in stride but he focused too hard a few times and got lost. Phil had to get his senses in other ways to make him come back. 

The anthropologist stopped a few of his experiments after the third time Clint zoned since his own Sentinel didn’t do much better. They settled down around the lab benches, Banner and Stark a lab further down, working on the wingsuits for Clint, Phil and Natasha. Steve was listening so some music with half an ear while reading a book. The Lord of The Rings was it this time so Clint didn’t fault him for his taste. After Twilight, that was saying much.

“We need to get back to the HQ and work on SHIELD,” Phil said: “We’ve just taken two days off and its time to check up on them.”

“I’m sure Maria can handle things,” Clint replied: “Wait another day and we’ll head back. They know there is much to explore after the GH325 and this is part of it.”

“Clint-“

“He’s right, you know?” Steve said without looking up: “Sir, you’re doing a lot of work. The other tasks take time and if you don’t know where your abilities begin and how to control them, who is to say you can successfully search out the minds of the new recruits?”

Phil visibly forced a few guilt emotions down but nodded after a moment. He shrugged while Blair looked between them: “Look, you have scheduled your visit in four weeks time, right? We’ve done most of the tests and besides letting you two meditate and set your dials, there is nothing else I could do. I have a few things to discuss with Jim as well. So we meet up then?”

“You don’t need to leave. The guest rooms are available,” Clint said but Jim shook his head: “We’re due back to work the day after tomorrow. Simon will be mad if we don’t show up to poker night.”

Clint grinned but nodded acceptingly: “Well anyways, good to have seen you again.”

“It was amazing meeting the Avengers.” Blair grinned and hinted at the evening they had the day before with all their food on the table and Thor’s tales as well as Tony’s childish behavior.

Jim shook all their hands before dragging Blair out of the room.

~*~ Past – five years ago

Clint cursed his luck. He was running the hallways and that as a sniper was never good. He felt itchy and his skin prickled. 

Gamma radiation.

His senses were fine enough to know that and at SHIELD they had had an accident where he came into contact with it enough to feel the burn and itch on his skin. That in turn meant those Iranian following him were in it for good and chasing him to death was in order to keep their nuke hidden from prying eyes.

He hoped Coulson was out and not inside the building. The lead casings and the concrete made it difficult to hear anything from the outside but he knew it was busy outside, an alarm blaring outside to make people run around. Clint was thankful that the alarm wasn’t on inside or his ears would be useless.

Hearing people running towards him from the front as well as the back, Clint looked to find another way around but only found a too small ventilation system on the floor as well as a hazard radioactivity symbol on a heavy door next to him.

Taking a deep breath, Clint opened the door and moved inside, ignoring the alarm that his entering raised. He would have to deal with radiation because no matter how good a marksman he was, no way would he be able to fight of ten guys with guns from each direction. 

The door never opened and the men darted on, ignoring the alarm or simply not thinking Clint would be stupid enough to enter a radiation chamber without protection. His skin started to itch but he pushed through. Another few minutes and he would be save. 

The door opened quickly and Coulson came in, blinking at him: “What are you doing in here?”

“I could ask you the same question, Sir.” Barton replied: “I tried to hide from those men and successfully so. They walked past. I was about to go back out to come and find you. Our comms have been fried.”

Phil pocketed his gun and indicated Clint to watch the door. He himself went over to a panel and stick in: “Shield will have control over the process now. We cannot disable the nukes though.”

Clint raised an eyebrow: “So that was your mission. C’mon, lets go. They’re gone.”

“Smart enough to evacuate a building where the radiation alarms started ringing. Good thing you triggered them by entering here.” Phil said and they left the room. Clint’s skin prickling.

*

“Are you okay?” Phil asked with a worried frown and knelt down besides Clint who was puking his guts out. His worried look to their extract medical assistant was telling tales though.

Clint waved his arm as another wave of sickness hit him and Coulson patted his back with a frown: “Doc?”

“We’re not sure. The gamma levels in both your bodies won’t ever leave you again but the treatment with iodine is successfully ongoing. You weren’t exposed long enough to have lasting effects. We don’t think you will get cancer or other radiation related diseases but it could be that you are unable to ever father children. If you intend to do so in a few years time I would suggest additional screenings to indicate that you won’t have a child with disabilities if that is what you wish.” 

Barton was looking up from his spot on his knees, holding his stomach while also holding on to a bucket: “I’m gay.”

The doctor raised an amused eyebrow: “I leave you to it then. Agent Coulson, if Agent Barton does not stop being sick in an hour, we need to consider an IV to fend of dehydration.”

Clint frowned and indicated the already there IV with the iodine: “That looks like a whole lot of fluids to me.”

The doctor shook his head and walked away.

“Talk to me, Barton.” Coulson said once the doctor was far enough away.

Clint sat up a bit more but still looked pale: “The radiation, Sir. I never told you but after the incident in lab five last year, I knew what radiation felt like to my enhanced senses. It’s like someone is skinning you alive, like an itch you can’t scratch and it makes me feel sick. The burning feels worse and I think it’s the pain that causes me to throw up.”

“The pain meds?”

“The wrong ones on board. They were the backup extract team while the first went to another op. Agent May was in that other plane but she had to take care of something.” Clint sighed: “They should know better by now.”

“I will see to it that they all do. I can’t have you hurting because they were stupid enough to pack the right medication for you. They may not know what you are hiding or why exactly you are reacting like this but this won’t ever happen again.” Coulson frowned deeply: “I’m sorry.”

“Ah, I’m fine.” Clint said but whimpered when another bout of sickness hit him.


	6. Chapter 6

~*~ Present (Chapter 6)

The weeks flew past and Coulson and Barton had kept busy finding new recruits, rebuilding SHIELD and meditating. The fellow Avengers were all working hard on doing their share of work to get them all through the rough patch. Pepper and Maria were a force to recon with considering they rocked at organizing and getting their way with either the fellow agents or the government committees.

The publicity and charity work the Avengers did was good on the press and within a few weeks they were established well enough. Better than expected, really, after just two months after SHIELD had collapsed.

Clint was in Germany, Natasha and Steve with him on a recon mission. They were spying on that Baron they had identified as Hydra and were following a few steps as well as tagging him with radioactive material so they could use satellites to spy on him. They followed his trails, tagged other members of Hydra and basically just watched.

Melinda, Bruce and Sharon who went into the field relieved them. Taking over the spying after three weeks to keep off being noticed by the Hydra agents but they appeared to be very ignorant and luckily arrogant enough not to notice the agents following them.

They had tagged seventy-two Hydra agents.

*

“You know, I’m actually more nervous than having to walk into Budapest again.” Clint said with a frown to the small, spacious house with the typical American veranda. The huge apple tree in the front yard held a swing; the weeping willow tree further back had a bench underneath and a small creek next to it. Clint frowned. He couldn’t remember the house he had been born in.

Phil’s hand on his thigh relaxed him a bit: “The worst that will happen is that they fall over because I haven’t really told them I’m not MIA anymore.”

“But I thought Maria was on your ass about that for weeks.” Clint said with a gape and closed his eyes annoyed.

Phil had the nerve to wince. Clint smirked: “Dropping unconscious? Am I supposed to catch them or let them fall down?”

“If you want to make a good first impression, you better catch my mom.” Phil said with a laugh.

“Why the weekend over Thanksgiving, Phil?”

“The whole family will be here and I only have to do this once?” he indicated the other cars further into the parking lot: “They don’t see us from here.”

Clint laughed: “I’ve gotten that much since I’m a sniper and all that but it makes it rather adorable that you’re nervous, too.”

“I am not adorable.” Phil replied dryly: “I can kill you with anything that lies around.”

“Yeah, but you won’t. I know that.” Clint smirked and indicated the door: “Want me to go first and tell them?”

“Nope, all in one. We go up there together.” Phil replied and got out of Lola. They walked to the front porch and Clint shook his head: “No one noticed.”

“They’re probably in the back.” Phil hinted and Clint nodded his head: “And what I assume your nieces playing upstairs.” He kept quiet a second: “And nephew. I suppose you never met your baby nice? I recon she’s about six months old.”

Phil turned at him and suddenly seemed to have aged ten years. He sighed and hunched his shoulders. For Phil Coulson, Agent of SHIELD for more than twenty years, able to kill, able to spy and keep a cool head even when Clint was going down or compromised, that was saying a lot.

Clint was there and wrapped his arms around the other man quickly: “There was nothing you could have done differently and we would have dragged everything down and caused them more grief. They never had to go through thinking you’re dead. They still have a inkling of hope.”

The older man was wrapping his arms tightly around Clint, relaxing and taking the comfort Clint offered: “I’m sorry Clint. If I had been able, Fury would have told you.”

“Yeah right. Like he could have dragged me aside after everything was in ashes and told me you were still alive? Five days later I was still at SHIELD. It was on the seventh day that I asked Tony to help me.” Clint said angrily but the anger was directed at Fury.

Phil gasped in pain with Clint but managed to absorb the pain. They gathered themselves quickly again and Clint said quietly: “Phil, dial down your empathy levels. Just be there with me, leave the bond open.”

They adjusted. They had practiced a few times and managed quite good. That all in a few weeks works with the op in Germany.

Phil straightened his suit and Clint laughed: “You know, I look like the homeless punk I am next to you in that suit.”

“No, Clint. You look really sexy. Those black jeans are a perfect fit, that grey tshirt brings out your eyes, the leather jacket a part of Hawkeye that I always love and there are your gloves. Always on your hands to shoot a bow any time you need to.” Phil replied: “And your home is with me. With the Avengers, with SHIELD.”

Clint nodded: “I know all that-“

“But hearing it makes you feel special even though you know my thoughts about the matter.” Phil replied and grinned: “Let’s head inside?”

“Let’s stop stalling.”

Phil knocked on the door and Clint stepped back before the door opened and Phil’s mother appeared at her door. She looked up at Phil, a small scream leaving her lips before she fell into Phil’s arms, sobbing: “Phil!” she whispered between sobs.

The scream had been enough to announce to the whole family that something was going on. They all – minus the kids and baby – were running towards the door and onto the veranda. They all had various stages of disbelieve on their faces and Clint, though blocking the emotions, got a good idea what they were feeling. He himself had felt that, not even three months ago.

A whole lot of hugging and placing kisses on Phil’s head and cheek later, one of Phil’s brothers turned towards Clint who had taken to stand against a pole of the roof at the steps leading up the porch, watching on: “And who are you?”

Phil detangled himself from the arms of his family and made his way to Clint: “This is Clint, my partner for the past three years. Clint, everyone. I’ve told you about them.”

Clint nodded and looked at everyone, addressing all by name: “Mrs Coulson, Mr Coulson,” he said before turning to the others, first the brother who had noticed him: “You must be John, that means you are his wife Jamie,” Clint said before turning on: “You must be Mary and Carl, which in turn makes the remaining two Thomas and Anna.”

The addressed all nodded before John asked: “Uh, Phil, what do you mean by partner?”

“My fiancé,” Phil explained without any emotion showing on his face: “”We’ve known each other for fifteen years.”

The family stared at Clint and Clint used his charm from the circus, the mask as an entertainer to not squirm under their scrutiny: “And you never brought him home before?” Thomas asked before getting punched by Mary: “He’s been MIA for a year, before that he had been on that assignment that took him around the world to all offices of that bank of his.”

Mrs Coulson was first to find her composure and walked over to Clint, hugging him: “Welcome to the family, Clint, and I’m not Mrs Coulson but Hanna.”

Clint nodded: “Nice to meet you.” Before the others nodded and Phil’s father stepped forward for a firm handshake: “I’m Joe.”

Clint knew all this of course but accepted anyways: “Same as for your beautiful wife goes for you as well, Sir,” before they were ushered into the house since a light drizzle had set in and it was getting rather uncomfortable.

Once inside, Jamie headed to the crib where the babygirl Clint had heard was and took her out: “Phil, meet your niece Jenna.”

Phil was looking at the tiny bundle with a smile and touched the cheek of the baby but didn’t take her: “She looks like you.”

John stepped up next to them: “But she has the Coulson blues. Her eyes are crystal clear and I think they will stay that way.”

“She is beautiful,” Phil said and stage whispered a second later: “Thank god she will have to stop hassling me about not getting her grandchildren.”

John laughed and grinned then: “Yeah, she had her hopes up, you being oldest. I never thought I would have a kid first.”

Phil suddenly snapped his head around and with an apoplectic look turned and headed over to Clint: “Deep breath,” he said and patted Clint’s elbow where his skin showed.

A surprised look from his mother got shot his way and Phil asked Clint: “What happened?”

“You can’t tell?” Clint asked surprised: “The emotions are running high and I closed off. The sound overwhelmed me a second there.”

“Don’t dial it down all the way. You know that. Relax, I’m here.” Phil said quietly and his mother frowned.

“Your niece, Sarah, stubbed her toe. She’s crying.” Clint said and indicated the ceiling: “Alice tries to argue with her not to come down because she fears getting yelled at.”

Hanna gasped in surprise but was already going for the stairs in a hurry. Phil checked the others watching them but staying out of it. Phil touched Clint’s neck and tilted his head so he had to look at him: “If it gets to much, tell me.”

“Yes.” Clint replied easily and eased his shoulders. He relaxed a bit. 

“Come, sit down, we were about to have a coffee.” Joe said and indicated a chair for Phil and Clint. The other adults were settling down and were about to interrogate Phil.

“Can I get you a coffee, Clint?” Joe asked and Clint shook his head: “No, thank you. I can’t tolerate coffee. It makes me jittery.”

Hanna was coming back down the stairs, carrying Sarah. She turned into the kitchen: “I’ll grab a icepack for that stubbed toe. Clint, do you want a hot chocolate instead?”

Clint was out of his seat and followed into the kitchen with a “Yeah, please.”

Phil was left to be grilled by his family and wished for a brief second those were Hydra agents because they would ask less personal questions.

“Where did you meet him?” Thomas asked and took a coffee for himself. Phil followed his lead and fixed himself a cup.

Carefully considering the answer, Phil replied: “I met him on a business trip.”

“How come you were taken anyways? Aren’t you an accountant?” Anna asked but it was Carl, Mary’s husband, who laughed: “An accountant doesn’t go missing in action.”

Phil winced. He shrugged: “They do, actually. Depending on what type of accountant you are, anyways.”

“How long have you been better?” Joe asked and the whole focus of eyes turned on him and he explained: “You look like you had been injured.”

Phil knew his face wasn’t showing a single thing: “They were complications and they needed to be sure I recovered before telling anyone I had survived.”

“How long?” Hanna asked from behind Phil and he actually jumped the tiniest bit. Clint’s amusement shot through their bond and Clint settled down next to him.

He avoided his mother’s eyes and sighed: “A year. There were complications.”

“A year!?” the yelling started and Clint winced: “How long have you known? You’re his fiancé!” 

Clint rubbed his eyes and replied: “Three months.”

The whole room fell silent again and it was Mary who asked: “You didn’t know he was alive?”

“No. I also thought him dead.” Clint replied and turned to smile at Phil: “Your family is worse than pulling teeth.”

Phil’s lips twitched but he hid a smile. Clint knew him well enough and Phil replied: “Without anesthetics. I know.”

“What would you know about pulling teeth? I’m the dentist here,” Thomas said and shook his head. He focused on Clint: “What is it you do?”

“I’m a cellist.” Clint smirked: “Well, I work in security.”

Phil choked on a sip of coffee but didn’t reply. Mary was asking Clint next: “Is that how you met Phil? Not to sound rude, but what are you doing with a balding, older man?”

Clint raised an eyebrow, a clear tell that he was rather pissed but he replied easily: “I love his Captain America collection.”

Mary started laughing at that. Hanna threw her a look and changed the subject: “About you staying here, this was rather unexpected…”

“We’ve booked a room at the motel,” Phil replied: “I know this house is at full capacity.”

“Hon, we don’t mind-“ Hanna started.

Phil touched her hand: “It’s okay. It is better that way. I have troubles sleeping and-“

“No, Phil, you’ll stay here. John and I will head down to the motel. Jenna won’t sleep through the night and is rather loud. We would have stayed but please, we barely get four hours a night and it wouldn’t be fair to any of you.” Jamie said sincere: “I asked John before but he wanted to give you more time with Jenna. Phil just got back, Jenna won’t go anywhere.”

Clint was about to protest but the hint of a feeling reached him and he didn’t say anything. Turning his head up to the kids’ room announced the kids coming down. At least it did for Phil.

He stood and went to the stairs just before the kids could be heard coming out of the room and down the stairs. It got him a frown from Mary but she didn’t say anything.

The kids swamped the room, looking at Phil but they mostly recognized him and hugged him or his legs. Clint found it adorable and got a hug from the kids as well after having been announced as the soon to be husband.

“Mom, can we go outside to the swing?” Ryan, the five year old asked Anna. His sister, Elly joined and nodded: “It stopped raining again.”

Thomas answered after a brief eye contact with his wife: “Go ahead. Take on your boots and rain jackets.”

The kids ran away with a yeay and were followed by the other two, Sarah and Alice. Clint looked after them and after a nudge from Phil’s foot he stood and followed the kids outside.

He watched them running around the apple tree and grinned. Easily, he stepped up to the tree, reached for a branch and within seconds was up there between the branches. Without getting his cloths any stains.

Ryan noticed: “I want to climb up as well!”

The girls eyed Clint critically and lost interest. Clint jumped back to the ground and instructed Ryan how to climb the tree.

Carefully, Ryan climbed up and was proud: “I did it!”

“You did. But do me favor, kid. Don’t do this unless someone is with you. If its your sister and cousins, that is okay but never alone, okay?” Clint asked seriously and Ryan nodded. He looked over to the girls and the girls nodded quickly.

Ryan then pulled an action figure out of his pocket and Clint laughed: “Is that Iron Man?”

“Yes! I have Captain America, the Hulk and Hawkeye. Thor and the Black Widow are missing.” He announced proudly.

“What do you want with Black Widow?” Alice asked with a frown: “She is human.”

Clint hid a frown but let Ryan answer: “She is a spy! She is strong and can defeat the Hulk!”

“No one can defeat the Hulk!” Sarah said and joined their conversation: “Thor is powerful with the lightning.”

“I like Iron Man. He is human.” Elly added: “If Uncle Phil were here he would say Captain America is important.”

Clint followed the kid’s input but Alice then said: “The Avengers don’t exist anymore. After Captain America destroyed the ships.”

“Why do you think they wouldn’t be around anymore?” Clint asked seriously.

“Because the Captain went after his friend. The Black Widow is gone. And Thor. And they don’t show up on TV as much anymore. Yes they were in the papers a few weeks ago but not by much.” Sarah said seriously. Clint took all this into consideration.

The kids scrambled away then, running around the place. Sarah appeared with a bow then: “Look what I found! I can play Hawkeye.”

The door to the house opened and Clint saw Phil, Thomas, Mary and John standing there. They were talking quietly and Sarah yelled: “Mom, I can play Hawkeye!”

Clint looked at Phil who barely nodded with a smile. Clint walked over to Sarah: “Do you need instructions how to shoot?”

Sarah seemed to mistrust him but gave him the bow and arrow: “If you can hit the bench underneath the willow tree!”

Mary said: “Honey, that is two hundred yards. No one can shoot that far.”

“Hawkeye can!” Ryan said excited.

Clint took the bow, pulled the string a few times. He took the arrow next, testing the weight: “The bench is a big target. Where about?”

Mary rolled her eyes in amusement, Thomas started laughing and John looked on but curious. Phil grinned: “I bet you ten bucks he makes the shot.”

“Ten against,” all three siblings said at once.

“The left side. The armrest,” Sarah said excited.

“Did you tell them I grew up in a circus, Sir?” Clint asked and the Sir slipped. It was usually required when handling the bow.

“No, Agent Barton. That is entirely up to you.” Phil replied.

That got surprised looks from the adults. Clint took the bow, pulled it and looked sideways at Phil, then at Sarah: “Sure about the target?”

She shook her head: “Right armrest.”

The arrow flew through the air, barely any time to adjust to Sarah’s last minute change. Clint never once looked away from Sarah.

The arrow was not sharp enough to injure someone deadly – usually-, but Clint nonetheless made the arrow stick into the rattan furniture. 

Sarah shrieked excited and demanded: “Show me how to!”

Phil caught Clint’s eye: “I’ve seen better of you, Barton. You should get your aim checked.”

“Yeah, next time I don’t shoot with toys that have no air flow or enough weight for a perfect shot!” Clint replied: “Besides, I can’t be better than Hawkeye, now can I?”

Phil accepted the ten-dollar bills of his siblings. Mary touched his shoulder though before they entered back into the house. Both, Thomas and John having gone inside already: “Phil, who is he really?”

“Why do you ask?”

“He heard things before we could. He shot that arrow perfectly. He’s not a simple security guy.” Mary said quietly but Clint understood her perfectly. He instructed Sarah with her bow, moving her arm up a bit.

“He grew up in the circus,” Phil said: “I just told you that.”

Mary narrowed her eyes: “Fine, don’t tell me.” She left the veranda, the door snapping behind her.

Sarah was doing practice shots and Clint walked over to Phil: “Sorry for bailing.”

“It’s all good. It gave me the chance to catch up with what’s been going on in my family’s life.”

“Yeah, I heard. Or I know anyways even if I haven’t heard directly. You opened up when I headed outside.” Clint answered: “Phil, you are the director. You decide how much you can tell your family but these gambles of half truth are dangerous.”

“I know. God Clint, this is hard. This is why I didn’t want them to know.”

“If Hydra finds out you’re still alive, they deserve to be prepared that you might have to take them away to keep them safe. You cannot do that if they don’t know about our work.” Clint said: “Just think about it.”

Phil nodded and took Clint’s hand: “What did they serve for food?”

“Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, pumpkin something, apple pie, gravy that is amazing, some cranberry souse, different kinds of vegetables and cornbread.” Clint answered. 

The yell for everyone to come inside for dinner was loud and clear then.

~*~Past – six years ago

Waking with a start, Clint realized he had nowhere to move. His arms were bound above his head, his feet barely scratching the floor and his left eye was swollen shut. Clint really doubted his arms were good to shoot for at least a month if the strain on his shoulder was any indication.

He couldn’t remember how he had gotten there but it must have been someone tranquilizing him because he hadn’t heard anyone coming up behind him. Damn it. Phil would be worried and just Clint’s luck that it was Hill and Sitwell with him here, not Phil. The pain alone would be enough to make him zone.

A door opened from somewhere and Clint could make out a man. He smelled the man though he was coming up from behind. With him he had a bucket of water and Clint seriously doubted it was for drinking.

The sharp tang of rust reached him next and that meant some torture instrument. Clint closed his eyes and tried to meditate.

The pull on his tooth was hurtful and he knew he was screaming but somehow it never once touched him. He was close to zoning and knew that while he may not be able to do anything about it, the guy would be working his other senses hard enough soon enough that his zone would break. The bad thing about that would also mean that Clint’s headspace would be gone with it and that, he couldn’t let happen.

The whip came next.

Waterboarding was following and Clint loved his training to withhold torture and instead trying to drink as much water as he could to not die of thirst.

When they were done for now, Clint laughed at them. But it was not him that was laughing but his default torture-withholding persona was laughing. 

The man though turned around and came into Clint’s view, looking at him madly before pushing down his pants and starting to stoke his already hard cock. 

Clint knew what would be happening now. There was no way not to know and though fear made itself known in his bones, Clint didn’t show anything. He steadied his heartbeat and relaxed his muscles as much as possible. If this were about to happen, Clint would be able to walk out of here once help came.

He never had to find out because not a few seconds later, Clint heard Coulson a few yards away: “Visual on the target. Taking the shot.”

The bullet to that man’s head was a welcome relieve.

*

“Sorry that I’m late. Debrief was longer than expected,” Clint smirked at Phil while dropping into the seat across from him.

“I can’t imagine why,” Phil said dryly: “Are you okay now?”

Clint wanted to shoot back an easy reply but reconsidered: “The training helped. The shrinks are picking my brain but it looks promising. I myself feel okay mostly but getting new molars takes time. I also freak out at water over my head.”

“There is no way to completely withhold torture,” Phil said with a frown: “I’m here for you if you need me, and I mean that as a friend.”

“Thanks,” Clint replied: “Could I crash at your place? I can’t stand being alone and the docs sent me home but home is quiet and I can’t –“

“Of course.” Phil agrees easily: “I’m your friend. And your Guide but that’s beside the point.”

Clint sighed and his shoulders looked easier, like a weight had lifted though Clint flinched and actually frowned at his dislocated shoulder: “I usually shoot my bow when I’m annoyed.”

“Have you thought of trying to shoot your bow without your bad shoulder?” Phil asked and passed a piece of bread to Clint that their waiter had just dropped by. They usually went to get some food after a bad op to relax and talk about anything that could help them deal.

“What, with my teeth?” Clint frowned but suddenly perked up: “That might actually work.”

~*~ Present

They all sat down and Mary was the one to ask questions: “Clint, how come you aren’t with your family these days? It’s Thanksgiving.”

Clint ignored the accusation and inquiry of the question. He was trained and he had lived with the topic long enough to have accepted his past. Barney was a different story but that was beyond his reach at the moment: “My parents died when I was six. My brother took us out of the orphanage when the mistreatment started and got us to a circus.”

Mary’s incredulous stare at Phil didn’t bother him. She was looking for loopholes in their stories because she suspected something: “That’s horrible. I’m sorry.”

“Nah, it’s all good. It’s done with.” Clint replied easily. Phil looked at his sister with a frown but she ignored him. John asked: “What happened with your brother?”

Clint’s grip tightened on the fork for a moment: “He abandoned me at some point and years later took a shot at me. After that the first time I saw him was about six years ago now. I believe FBI brought him behind bars.”

John looked surprised: “What is it you are doing now?”

“Working with Phil, mostly. I am his security detail.” Clint replied.

“Why now, why haven’t you been his security before he was kidnapped?” Hanna asked accusingly and Phil knew exactly what went through Clint’s head. He quickly reached out and took his partner’s hand: “Stop it, Clint! There was nothing you could have done.”

“But she is right! Because of me-“

“No! I don’t blame you. Natasha doesn’t blame you, the others don’t blame you!” Phil said and turned Clint’s head so that he had to look into his eyes: “How many times do I have to tell you that, Clint?”

“More than once.” Clint replied without a thought. 

“I have protected you just as many times, as you protected me Clint and don’t doubt for a second I wouldn’t. This was beyond anything you could have done.” Phil insisted: “This was definitely not normal and I’m still here.”

Joe asked incredulous: “Just what exactly are you doing?”

Mary looked like she was right all along and smug about it. Phil sighed but didn’t stop looking at Clint until he was sure Clint was convinced. He looked at his family then: “Its in those countries no one else wants to go to but there are still business and finances that need to be dealt with.”

“Stop lying,” Thomas said: “If you’re CIA and can’t tell us, fine. But don’t bullshit us.”

Clint grinned: “Told you.”

Phil shrugged: “Yeah you did but that doesn’t change anything.”

Sarah came running to the adult table and Ryan close with her. Alice and Elly followed. Each had the action figure of an Avenger in their hand. Sarah had Hawkeye, Ryan Captain America, Alice had Hulk, Elly Iron Man: “Uncle Clint, can you show me how to shoot again?”

“I think it’s rather late and too dark outside but if your parents allow it, tomorrow?” Clint asked carefully with a flick of his eye sideways.

“I want to shoot too! Uncle Phil, can you shoot a gun? Pa said you were in the army.” Ryan said excited: “I want to be as cool as Captain America.”

Phil smiled at his nephew: “I don’t have a gun. No one that is a private person should have a gun. Only the bad guys use them illegally and the police has to stop them.”

“But the Avengers use guns.” Alice said: “Black Widow has one and I think Hawkeye has one though a bow is a weapon as well.”

“Grandpa has a gun.” Sarah said: “Its downstairs in the drawer.”

All eyes turned to Joe and he grimaced: “I had it for years. We’re the last house out here and I had it to protect us.”

Clint made a mental note to check the gun. He felt Phil thinking the same. Clint had always weapons on himself and this time those were a few knives while Phil could do with whatever was around.

“Pops, don’t worry.” Anna said: “As long as you have the ammunition and gun separate and under lock, it should be fine.”

Hanna cleared her throat then: “I think its time for the pie. Everyone, grab something and bring it into the kitchen. Phil, Clint, you’re on dishwashing duty.”

They entered the kitchen and Clint started as instructed. It was easy to wash the dishes while Phil placed everything into the boards after toweling them dry: “Your family doesn’t like me. Well, maybe the kids do.”

“Clint, they don’t –“

“I’m a good telepath, Phil. Stop lying to yourself.” Clint said and turned towards the door when he heard Thomas standing in the doorway. Phil hadn’t seen his brother yet and he sighed: “I know. Give them time. I just came back from the dead.”

“Missing, Phil. Get your stories straight.” Thomas said and entered the kitchen. Phil nearly dropped the pan he was drying.

“I thought you knew he was there,” Clint said with a frown: “Have you closed of your sense of me completely?”

Phil narrowed his eyes: “I never needed your ability to know where people were at.”

“You’re at home, of course you would relax.”

“Relaxing could get us all killed.” Phil replied.

Thomas looked like he was about to flee the kitchen but Phil focused on him: “Well, I was nearly dead. That is true but I can’t tell you everything.”

“We’re your family, Phil. Of course you can tell us everything.”

Clint smiled bitter but Phil looked tired: “No. I can’t. No one would understand.”

Thomas sighed and raised his hands in surrender: “I saved you guys some pie.”

“Thanks, Tommy,” Phil turned to place the pan away and took Clint’s hand, dragging him back. Thomas looked at Clint: “We don’t know you well enough to like you. But you made Phil smile and that is the first time we have seen that in a rather long time. Including his difficult time with a kidnapping that is saying a lot.”

~*~ Past – four years ago

Natasha was sitting in the chair, bent over and wrists, no, her forearms locked together tight enough that she could not slip out. Her feet had been chained to the floor, nearly blocking any blood circulation through her feet. Her hair was a mess, singed, cut, and ripped from her head.

A few fingers were broken, nails lying on the floor. Her left foot was bloody on the balls and the soft flesh showed welts. Her shins were blue and bruised, covered in cigarette burns and deep gashes. Her stomach and ribs were blue, her back was covered in lashed from a whip that partly curled around her arms to the front where her breasts were. 

The thin cotton tank top that was covering her was soaked with water, dirt and blood. It barely hung on to her but enough to give her decency. 

Clint sighed in relief that they hadn’t thought of raping her. Not even close, if her torn clothes but intact underwear was any indication.

He looked at her face and found her slack in unconsciousness, blood on her nose, lips, ears and eyes.

It would be hell to move her. She looked like she had a few bones broken in her chest and maybe even her collarbone because he knew the Widow. She would fight until her bones gave to get free. She would try to pop her shoulder or thumb to escape.

Clint carefully touched her but she didn’t once stir. He quickly got the laser cutter he had with him and removed her chains, mindful of not cutting her. He looked back towards the door and Phil looked back at him shaking his head. Clint indicated he needed another moment before he carefully lifted Natasha back into the chair, then he knelt down, turned, and grabbed her arms and legs until she was in a piggyback position. He then carefully lifted her up and carried her towards the door: “Let’s go.”

They moved quickly.

The only reason Natasha had ever been caught was because she had tried to protect Clint and had been knocked out by the explosion and not gained consciousness until it was too late. Clint knocked out but better off had fought but they had escaped with her. Phil, Hill and Sitwell had arrived seconds to late.

~*~ Present

Clint was removing his shoes and had already stripped off his t-shirt when Phil came walking into their small bedroom: “Hey.”

“Sorry, I’m tried…” Clint replied: “Thought I give you some time to catch up.”

“You’re tried and tried not giving me the tiredness but it hasn’t worked the past few months.” Phil shrugged: “We have another four days with them.”

Clint nodded and removed a few knives from his boots. He stored them underneath the pillow on the queen size bed. Phil watched him with a smirk: “How many more knives do you have?”

“What? You know I always have at least seven.” Clint laughed and took off his jeans. Clint watched Phil undress. The older man pulled the sleeves down before he undid the buttons on the cuffs first, followed by those down the front, then he gracefully shrugged out of the shirt.

“I know you do. Will you be able to get comfortable here?”

“I can sleep anywhere. The noise should be bearable until the morning. The kids are sleeping already.” Clint watched the smooth plane of Phil’s naked chest while stripping off his pants. He folded them neatly and placed them on the seat carefully.

Phil looked back to Clint and stopped in his movements, surprised to find the other man staring at him with interest: “Clint?”

“What?” Clint croaked and then tilted his head: “You are sexy to watch.”

A knock on the door interrupted them and the door was opened a few seconds of polite pause later. Hanna entered and had another set of towels in her hands. She gasped when she saw both Clint and Phil, standing there in boxers and their upper bodies littered by countless scars: “Oh Jesus! What happened to you?!” she hurriedly closed the door behind her and put the towels onto the foot of the bed. Then she turned Phil towards her by his shoulders and looked at all the scars. Finally, her gaze landed on the CC.

“Mom-“ Phil said but she shook her head. Her eyes flickered over to Clint and took in the black double C as well: “How did I not realize you were injured all the time? Phil, when did you decide to tattoo your names onto your chests?”

Clint settled onto the bed, a foot tucked under his body. He looked at Hanna with surprise and watched both interact. He wished his own mother could have been a mother hen as was happening with Hanna right now. He replied: “Phil and I got the tattoo after we realized aliens were landing in New Mexico. That hit the news and we were thinking that anything could happen. We got it that night.”

“Clint’s scars are my fault more times than not. He’s my protection.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re our backup. Nat and I would be stuck a few times otherwise, let alone dead ten times over.”

Hanna looked at the younger man: “You let your boyfriend be kidnapped? Couldn’t you get him out?”

“No, Clint was injured as well.” Phil said: “And I don’t blame him. If you accuse him one more time of this, I will just leave. Clint and I have had enough troubles over the years as you can probably see. We’ve been working together for a decade.”

Clint had stilled during their conversation and seemed to make himself smaller. Phil noticed it and frowned. He never should have to hide in Phil’s family home. That was just wrong.

“I just, I can’t stand to see you hurt. Your body indicates you went through quite a lot.” Hanna justified herself: “You’re my son and I worry.”

Phil accepted that with a nod: “And most of these scars were to protect Clint who is my family. Others were to protect kids.” 

The older woman huffed: “I will ask Carl to take a look at those wounds to tell me exactly how worrisome those actually were and you can say whatever you want, you’ll live through it for the sake of my mind. Clint, that includes you, too. If you are part of the family, it is important for me to know.”

Clint flinched a bit and Phil explained before Hanna could ask: “He doesn’t like to be touched.”

Hanna’s eyes grew big and Phil was sure she was imagining all sort of things: “Mom, stop your psyche analytics. If we need to see a therapist, I would ask you to help.”

Clint’s eyes narrowed at Phil, a clear indicator that his handler was lying but Clint didn’t call him on it.

“Good. I’m sure they had a therapist for you after the kidnapping but I’m always there for you and will help you. I can be professional about this.” Hanna said seriously. She fiddled with her jacket sleeve before heading back to the door: “Goodnight.”

“Night,” Clint replied dutifully alongside Phil.

*


	7. Chapter 7

They were in the midst of lunch when Clint’s head snapped up and he reached for Sarah’s toy bow: “Excuse my asking but have you problems with thugs?”

Joe jumped from his seat: “What? Yes but we made a deal –“

Phil looked worried: “Dad, what’s going on?”

“Someone approached us to sell our and our neighbors land for Fracking. We declined and ever since they tried tougher and tougher approach.”

“Barton?” Phil said next.

“A truck. Four armed men with Kalashnikovs. Another truck a mile down the road.” Clint replied: “Should I take the shot, Sir?”

John was about to say something but Phil, with a wave of his head shook his head: “Did you check the gun downstairs, Clint?”

“I did. It’s cleaned.”

“I’ll get it,” Joe said but it was Thomas who headed down the stairs to get it. 

“Mom, get me all the kitchen knives you can get.” Phil said: “Mary, take everyone and go into the far corner. Lay down on your stomachs.”

“They have machine guns! You cannot do anything-“ John started and Clint laughed: “I think we’re about even matched.”

Phil took a few butter knives and flicked them expertly: “Can you make a kill shot?”

“You even have to ask, Sir?” Barton replied: “They’re debating how to approach.”

“Can you make a run for Lola?”

“I can’t, but Sir, I’m better with those things,” Clint indicated the knives, never wavering from his spot at the window.

Thomas arrived with the gun and ammunition, clearly uncomfortable with the gun. Phil took everything and automatically checked the gun through and loaded it quickly.

A cellphone rang. Phil flipped it on: “Coulson?”

“Director, Jarvis reported Agent Barton’s adrenaline spiking and he’s now in sniper mode. We have eyes on your surroundings and there are four trucks with armored people.” Maria Hill said: “Tony and Steve are on their way. Lola is still clear and is not monitored by anyone. Is Agent Barton’s bow in the trunk?”

“Affirmative, Agent Hill.” Phil said: “I have a gun loaded, Clint has a toy bow.”

It was Natasha’s laugh that came through the speakers: “Clint, remember Budapest.”

“Of course, Widow!” Clint said.

Phil smirked: “Captain, Iron Man, your ETA?”

Everyone in the whole room looked stunned at that.

“We’re fifteen minutes out, Sir.” Tony replied: “We’ll get Hawkeye his bow. Stay in the house.”

It was Melinda next: “Do we know who they are?”

“They’re not Hydra,” Phil replied and Clint agreed: “They’re too sloppy for Hydra. They would not stand there and plan an attack in the driveway.”

“Its good you have great ears, Hawkeye.” Hill said again: “Falcon is on stand by but takes longer to get into gear. Do you have any other weapons at your disposal?”

“About thirty kitchen knives.” Coulson replied.

Natasha’s voice came on again: “That sounds fair. Maria, wake me up when it’s over. This is a damn easy thing to win for Clint and Phil alone.”

It was Skye’s words next: “Thor is on standby, as is Banner. I have eyes on the area and your thugs are moving into front and back, Director Coulson.”

“Thank you, guys. Radio silence for now. Comm’s only.” Phil said and flicked the phone shut, tapping his ear once to open the channel: “Steve, Tony, my family is in the ground floor. Tony, get on work of their cars as soon as you can. Steve, protect my family. Clint, take the shots as you see fit. I’ll be having Clint’s back.”

Clint took a deep breath: “They’re getting out of their cars.”

Phil looked back at his family, all looking at him with surprise: “Stay down and move when Captain America tells you to.”

“Phil-“ Mary started but Phil ignored her, turning to the window.

Clint released the bowstring, the arrow making a clear path and landing in the flesh of a man’s shoulder. The man went down: “One down,” Clint replied and reached for another toy arrow: “He’ll survive if they get him medical soon.”

“How can you nearly kill someone with a toy?” Thomas asked and looked at the arrowheads that showed no sign of ever being dangerous enough.

“You’ve heard of Hawkeye, right?” Phil asked without looking. He reached for a knife.

Clint had already taken his second shot, injuring the man in the groin area so that he was incapable of walking any further: “Second man down. Sir, there are four coming in from the back. Leave me a few knives and I’ll be fine. I make my way to Lola.”

“Your senses?”

“Dialed down. Jarvis, monitor my senses and heartbeat to notice a zone.” Clint said: “They didn’t take shots yet because they don’t know where the shots are coming from.”

“Stark?” Phil asked and over the comm they heard: “Seven minutes.”

“They won’t stay away for that long. We have another vehicle approaching on the north. Five men checking their guns through. A chopper coming closer as well. Sir, I fear the chopper is Hydra.”

“All at once? This is just the luck we needed.” Phil cursed.

Clint ducked behind the window and made his way to the front: “Sir, stay with your family until Captain comes in. We’re front line.”

“I will. Clint, be careful.”

“Always.” And he was out the door, running and throwing knives left and right.

Joe was next to Phil on the window: “Damn I’ve never seen that before.”

Phil shrugged: “That is nothing.” He watched the surroundings more than Clint: “Hawkeye, on your left, three yards in front of Lola, hiding behind a tree.”

Clint threw a knife and hit the man in the chest. By now their attackers had started shooting at Clint. Phil’s hands balled into a fist around the handle of his gun and Phil started taking shots Clint couldn’t. The man behind a tree would have been in range for Phil but his chances of hitting were smaller than Clint’s. 

“Hawkeye, I’m out back.”

“Understood.” Clint’s reply came through and all eight frontal attackers were on the ground. Phil reached the back door the second a thug opened the door. The family was in the same room and Phil adjusted the grip on a knife and fought back.

“Thomas, get duct tape and wrap them up for local police. They’re not Hydra.” Phil called out and without using the knife to injure anyone had their attackers on the ground.

The kids looked on, gaping and admiring Phil. Sarah’s whispered: “I knew Uncle Clint was as good as Hawkeye.” Made Phil smirk for a second before he stepped outside.

He chopper was in their backyard by then, Hydra agents making their way down the ropes. Phil took a shot and hit one, making him fall down onto the ground.

Clint’s arrows silently made their way into the pilot’s head, causing him to drift off into the tree line further back. Clint’s next shot was for those on the ground. Phil took aim and shot another three.

“We’re here,” Steve said and dropped down to the ground, Tony already having targeted someone further in the trees and taking a shot. Steve threw his shield at the normal thugs who actually started running when they saw Iron Man landing in the garden.

“There are three strike teams approaching. They’re Hydra.” Hill said through their comm.

Clint stood on the rooftop: “I can hear them, not see them yet due to the trees there and other houses over there.”

“Cap, take out Hydra, Stark, try to take out their vehicles before they get here. The forest only. I don’t want the other civilians involved.”

“Yes Sir,” both men said. Phil turned to Clint who chucked him down a gun and three clips: “Lola is being ignored.”

“Good. Clint, stay up there and don’t let anyone come in. I’ll stay in there with my family and try to calm them.”

“Good idea since they’re clearly after you or your family. We need to find out who had the time to tell them you are alive though.” Clint reasoned: “Later.”

Phil walked back into the house to see that the thugs had been tied together neatly. The kids were trying to look out a window, the adults not far behind the kids to see what was going on.

“Are you okay?” Hanna asked and looked at Phil. Other than that Phil hadn’t worn anything but a pristine white shirt that looked a bit wrinkled, he was fine.

“Yes. You? Anyone hurt?”

“They never got close enough to hurt us.” Jamie said: “You made sure of that.”

Phil shrugged: “Sorry about the kitchen knives, Mom. I know they were the good silver ware.”

Mary barked out a laugh: “You worry about the silverware? Really? Are you nuts? I never knew what you could do with a butter knife. I’m rather sorry I teased you over the last few years and amazed I survived it.”

Phil nodded and looked out the front window: “Hawkeye is on the roof. Sorry if a few tiles are knocked loose.”

“How did he get up there?” Joe asked next: “The ladder is in the shed.”

“He’s Hawkeye. He can climb anything.” Ryan said easily: “That is his superpower.”

Phil’s comm stirred: “Tell your nephew he’s awesome.”

“Ryan, Hawkeye thinks you’re awesome.” Phil relayed the message.

Steve appeared at the doorway: “All clear, Director Coulson.”

Phil turned and nodded: “Thank you, Captain.”

“No problem. Tony is rounding up the Hydra men. Local FBI is on their way since we still don’t have the capacity to lock them in.” Steve said and looked at the kids staring at him. He smiled a bit but it was John who started laughing: “My brother has the hugest collection on Earth about Captain America and he is now the boss of him? Don’t ever let me doubt the power of geeks again.”

Steve shrugged: “I was actually happy that he did have the best collection. Got me back my bike.”

Phil smirked: “And your favorite book.”

A few thumps on the roof announce Hawkeye coming back down: “Phil?” 

“What did you hide from me?” Phil asked straight away: “I know you closed off the empathic bond.”

It was Tony with his heavy steps and mask removed that answered him: “He got scratched by a bullet.”

“Damn it, Clint!” Phil yelled: “I need to know this stuff straight away.”

“It’s just a scratch! On my thigh! Not my arm. I can still pull the string easily.” Clint replied with an easy shrug: “Lot like you need to sew up my artery to keep me from bleeding to death.”

Tony looked at him: “Budapest?”

Steve shook his head: “Sounds more like Kandahar.”

Phil rubbed his eyes: “Budapest was bad but not that bad. Kandahar was messed up. No, it was Sarajevo.”

Steve had moved to look at Clint’s thigh and inspected it: “Nothing serious as far as I can tell.”

“I’m a doctor. Let me check it out,” Carl said from behind the adults that were trying to keep the kids back and busy so they wouldn’t hear all the conversation and see Clint bleeding.

Hanna pushed a first aid kit into his hands: “I wanted you to check them through anyways and tell me how serious they had been injured.”

Carl frowned because he didn’t quite catch on. Outside, the blue and red flashes indicated the arrival of FBI. Steve sighed: “I am going to deal with them since I believe my jurisdiction is not that questionable.”

“Hill cleared it up. Take Stark with you to back you up,” Phil said: “No one can talk circles around authority like Tony can.” Phil said: “After that, you’ve earned yourself a piece of pie.”

“Thank you, Phil.” Steve said before knocking on Tony’s shoulder to indicated them leaving to deal with the mess.

“Everyone, are you all okay?” Phil addressed the group of adults and the few kids.

“Startled, rattled and a hundred questions,” John replied and helped his wife up from the floor. Jenna surprisingly had slept through the whole ordeal.

Mary glared at Phil: “And you couldn’t tell us sooner that you were the boss of the Avengers?”

“Technically, the Avengers don’t have a boss. Technically, I am an Avenger because I am simply their strategic expert. Captain America is actually the leader of the Avengers.” Phil replied.

“I am a SHIELD agent, so is the Black Widow therefore we both listen to Phil. He makes the best plans and exit strategies. They’re good enough that Captain America can’t find fault and even the genius Tony Stark is occupied with other stuff during an attack. Phil brought us all together is another reason and we all listen to him because we want to.” Clint explained: “He got promoted a few months ago to Director after the fall of Nickolas Fury, the former Director while we try to rebuild SHIELD and get Hydra behind bars.”

“What makes you so sure you don’t have Hydra in your service again?” Mary asked critically: “They fooled you once.”

Phil watched as Carl cleaned the graze before answering his sister: “We have extensive screening. So far we have recruited former members of SHIELD and those who had grandparents or parents within the agency. All Hydra members have fled and work in secrecy now.”

Clint didn’t flinch when the needle pierced his skin and Phil frowned: “Clint, dial up your sense of touch.”

“No, Sir. Not if I can help it.” Clint replied and tried not to fidget: “This is rather handy.”

“It’s dumb. Blair advised you to never let it go completely. Dial it up so far that it pinches a bit.” Phil touched Clint’s neck: “You can’t even feel me touching you and that is worrisome.”

A knock at their door interrupted Phil and Clint. They turned to see an FBI Agent walking in: “Agent Coulson.”

“Special Agent Hendricks, nice to see you,” Phil replied easily: “How is cleanup going?”

“The Hydra-Agents actually are stupid. They felt the need to be all like Death-Eaters and tattooed the symbol onto their arms. No better way to see they all are guilty. That and a rather impressive armory they had. I’m surprised you could withhold until Captain America and Iron Man arrived.”

“But Hawkeye helped us!” Sarah said excitedly and no one had felt her walking up to stand next to Clint, her toy-bow in her hands: “He managed to protect us with my toy-bow!” she said excitedly.

“Thanks, Sarah but your bow is actually quite good for just a toy,” Clint replied with a smile and frowned: “Sorry about the arrows though.”

Hendricks looked surprised at Clint and the stitching he got before realizing he was Hawkeye: “Agent Coulson, I think you never actually introduced your asset to me before.”

Phil smirked: “I never introduced you to either Hawkeye or Black Widow.”

“That girl back then is the Widow? Sheesh, better you never told me anything about them both. But what I heard from some men you were pretty good without a gun.” Hendricks said.

“Yes, though I prefer not to come too close.” Phil replied. Tony walked back inside then, this time without his suit: “Director Coulson, we’re nearly done outside.”

“Thank you, Tony.” Phil said and then realized he still had a knife clutched in one hand. He placed it back onto the table. Hendricks eyed the knife then looked back into the backyard. Phil had thrown some knives as well after all.

 

~*~

Clint had been patched up, cleaned his hands and changed his shirt by the time Phil came up the stairs to their assigned room: “You crashing?”

“No. Took some sugar pills and water.” Clint replied: “You?”

“My family is exhausting. I’m just glad Tony and Steve agreed to stay for dinner.” Phil shook his head: “I don’t get why they attacked us in broad daylight.”

“Maybe they saw those hooligans and their attempt to chase your family from this land and decided we were distracted enough to sneak up on us?” Clint shrugged: “Damn, that stings.”

“You didn’t want to take a shower?”

“I wanted to but that probably is a bad idea right now. My thigh is arching and I’d probably fall over. I can deal without a concussion.”

Phil smirked and took his shirt of. It was still pristine but even though Phil had barely worked up a sweat, he wanted to be out of those cloths. The gunpowder smelled strong and Phil knew it always bothered Clint, especially after having been shot.

“I could join you?” Phil asked and indicated the hallway: “They are downstairs gawking over Tony and Steve.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” the archer replied and called out: “Sarah, Ryan you can come in.”

The two kids opened the door and stared at Clint in his shorts and their uncle without a shirt: “They ask questions about Tony and Steve but we thought having an uncle who gives orders to the Avengers and another uncle who is an Avenger is more awesome.”

Phil smirked and his grin stretched over his whole face. Clint knew he was to find those two kids adorable but Phil like this was really adorable: “Uncle Phil is an Avenger,” Clint said before Phil could deny it: “Without him, there wouldn’t be any Avengers.”

“No, that is not true!” Sarah said: “I am sure you would be still fighting together.”

“I went to each member and asked them to join us for a good cause. I asked them to fight back,” Phil said patiently: “I am sure that they would have fought alongside another, yes, but after a lot more people would have been killed.”

Sarah nodded acceptingly and looked at Clint: “Uncle Hawk, can you show me how to climb that tree as well?”

Phil chuckled but it was Clint that crouched down to their eyelevel and wincing but ignoring the pull on his stitches: “Of course I can. But don’t expect me to show you everything. You need to practice.”

Sarah nodded and Ryan looked at Phil: “Uncle Phil, can you teach me how to fight?”

“I don’t believe in fighting physically, Ryan. I think you need to outsmart other people unless you are attacked first. Fighting is a big part protecting the weaker and of course yourself. Fighting is knowing you can handle a situation without hurting your opponent beyond what is justified.” Phil told the kid: “Clint and I are staying for another three days, we’ll show you something but first, please let us have a shower.”

“But you are not dirty!” Sarah said innocently.

“Yeah, we know but sometimes, when you get older, you will shower just to feel emotionally clean and refreshed. Its not about needing a bath but comfort it gives you.” Clint replied: “The warm water that touches your skin and the noise it can reduce when you dip your head under water.”

Both kids looked like they didn’t understand that but they seemed determined to find out next time they took a bath. Ryan took Sarah’s hand and they left the room, closing the door behind them.

“You have new fans,” Clint told his partner: “I think they find you more badass than Cap downstairs.”

“Thankfully,” Phil said: “I need some backup in the family.”

They headed for the shower.

*

They went downstairs to a chaos that was dinner table. Left overs from the day before were littering the table while Tony and Steve sat between them. Steve’s shield was in one corner of the room and the Iron Man Suit was closed off outside on the veranda, creepily looking in through the window.

“Sir, your family is pretty amazing.” Steve said and grinned: “Especially your nieces and nephew.”

“Thanks, Steve.” Phil replied and looked at each and every one of his family members. He studied them for their usual tells that something was wrong and found them pretty content if a bit shaken up.

“Joe, do you mind me asking about those men who tried to shoot you out of your own house?” Clint asked carefully while taking a spot next to Phil’s empty chair. Phil followed him after getting a few more drinks on the table.

Joe carefully placed some of the food on his plate before passing on the bowl: “Like I said earlier, Fracking. Some oil company asked us to sell the land a couple of months ago. They knew everything about us. That Phil was declared MIA, social security numbers, extended family…everything. They threatened us to sell but we declined over and over again.”

“They threw stoned through the windows, harassed Mom while shopping at the market and they slashed the tires.” Mary said bitterly: “Thomas, John and I were having a routine to call in for checkups. That and the other three neighbors that were involved set up security watch and all that. Hence the gun downstairs I believe.”

Phil’s training in torture and being used to difficult situations was the only thing that helped him having a straight face. Clint reached out and touched Phil’s arm and projecting calmness so his Guide could absorb the emotion and use it. Tony’s eyes snapped up at them and he said softly: “Jarvis reports your connection spiking. Are you okay?”

“Fine, thanks Tony, thanks Jarvis. Clint helped me staying calm,” Phil replied with a small smile and focused on his family again: “What’s the company called?”

“You don’t need to fight our battles for us, Phil. We’re very well capable to doing so ourselves!” Thomas angrily replied: “We don’t need the Avengers to help us in such small things. Stay with them for another few months until this matter is settled.”

//Fuck this! You don’t deserve this from your own family, Phil! How can they say that and not know you how worked up you get about those things?! You came back from the dead and had to deal with Hydra, a new team, me being gone and that mental ability!//

Phil sighed and placed a hand on Clint’s chest: “They don’t know about that, Clint.”

Tony’s eyes grew big: “Are you talking to each other in thoughts again? Because Bruce and I are still trying to work that whole issue out.”

“Talking in thoughts?” – “What don’t we know about?” – “What does that have to do with anything?” – “Uncle Clint always knows where someone is.”

“Okay, that was way too many people speaking at once,” Tony supplied: “Even Jarvis didn’t follow that.”

“I did. But only because their thoughts are screaming at us.” Clint replied. He looked at Mary: “Yes, talking in thoughts, aka telepathy. Well, and empathy.” He focused on Thomas next: “Phil always protects people he loves no matter how.” Hanna next: “There is a lot you don’t know yet but its not like we can discuss the whole past ten years in one evening.” Clint then turned to Elly: “I can hear heartbeats from two miles away. I can see a needle from three miles away even in darkness. All my senses are heightened.”

Phil indicated Clint while taking a sip and after swallowing added: “What he said.”

Steve looked pointedly at Clint: “And you all complained about Tony bringing parties.”

“Ah, that was Nat. She complained. I was happy shooting at Loki at that time,” Clint replied with a smirk: “And this is worse than dealing with the Aliens. Therefore, not a party.”

They fell silent for a moment and it was John who asked: “What exactly is your mental bond with my brother?”

“Ain’t that the million dollar question,” Clint sighed and shrugged with a shoulder that was not handling his fork. Phil nodded: “We’re still not sure about this. We didn’t always have this ability to know what the other is feeling or thinking. We were just suddenly turned on and can’t seem to find a special off switch.”

“Reading thoughts?” Jamie asked and got a nod in return. Anna continued: “Emotions?” again, Phil nodded. Mary asked: “Shared dreams?”

“That is where it gets tricky,” Clint answered truthfully: “There is a spirit world where we share space. We believe its through there that we can talk in thoughts.”

Carl adjusted his reading glasses and indicated their bodies: “Does your physical pain cause the other to feel it as well?”

“No, not exactly. I know he’s hurt if he lets me. We just learned how to block this but it is essential for Clint to never be cut of from me again. He’s always been an empath and being separated or not feeling the bond causes the full weight of everyone around him to overwhelm him.”

“That is rather stupid,” Joe said: “That would mean you’re vulnerable when separated.”

“It wasn’t like that before the whole MIA thing,” Clint answered: “Well, three years ago, actually when the close proximity over the years made it easy to get used to. The bond wasn’t there before then and being in Phil’s presence had helped me. A mission changed that and I needed the mental bond to stabilize. Thank god he agreed to bond with me.”

Tony threw in with his usual bluntness: “That’s when they started fucking. At least the Widow says so. Then there were the MIA things that happened and voila, we have a bad ass Director who can read thoughts and strip people bare to their souls and know exactly what you are up to or if your intentions are good. Pretty useful when a bunch of super spies turn evil and plan to kill the population.”

“You can read all thoughts?” Mary asked with a frown: “But that is a violation of privacy!”

“I don’t intend to read thoughts, Mary. I haven’t read any thoughts besides those you mentally screamed. I am still trying to learn how to block them successfully.” Phil replied: “Besides, I have more important things than to read your thoughts. I’ve been trained to read body language twenty years ago and since then I’ve only gotten better at it. I don’t need this ability to know what you’re thinking of. Mostly anyways. You are projecting emotions.” Phil explained a bit helplessly: “I always knew what was going on but it was always up to you to include me into the know.”

“Damn, it’s awesome and scary at once to have such a bad ass brother.” John said with a dazed impression.

“That sadly reminds me of the scars I have seen last night,” Hanna said quietly and carefully of how those news would be taken in: “I asked Carl to check up on both of them and give us a brief of the worst.”

“Worse than stabbed through the heart?” Tony blurted out: “Or Clint’s recent bullet through the heart?”

The whole room fell silent again as everyone froze in their motions. Well, except Steve, Clint and Phil. Phil tried with humor: “At least those injuries made sure we have a heart.”

Tony’s look could have killed on the spot if Hanna hadn’t barked out a startled laugh. That was all it took to break the tension.

~*~ Past – five years ago

Clint had had enough. Phil did not understand what he needed form him as a Guide and the displeasure and rejection he had felt was hurting him worse than anything else had for a long time. He had made his way out of SHIELD’s headquarters quietly, using the air vents to be right outside and walking away from the ground. He had the clearance to leave and he took it.

His mind screamed at him and he tried to close himself off from the pain, trying hard not to fail under the pressure and turn back to Phil with his calm mind. He was not yet breaking from this and Phil didn’t want him to be this close. Maybe Clint could find someone else to be his Guide.

Quickly making his way to where he had a stack of ID’s and money hidden, he grabbed his backpack from the lockers and made his way back out. Just his luck that no one was paying any attention to an old locker in a high school that was regularly used. He paid a student for it for keeping the locker under their name and that only he knew the combination. Thankfully he had taken a smart kid that behaved and never got into trouble to be his locker-alibi. That and that the school had no security in the evenings helped Clint right now. He grabbed his stuff, took a shower because he could still feel the radiation from a few weeks before under his skin like a sunburn that had yet to disappear fully and made his way back outside in the dark night.

*

Goa was beautiful with its beaches and just enough tourists for Clint to fit right in. He paid cash for his food, rented a small room at a hotel and told them he was a journalist and would be staying indefinitely.

Two weeks later, he helped a kid. The kid looked like an orphan, living on the street and stealing a few fruits. What Clint hadn’t counted on besides stepping up when the kid was being beaten was to get hit by a whip from another guy, straight in the eye.

It started swelling right away but Clint easily reached for the whip, dragging the man close and punching him. He got grabbed from behind by the other man and easily fought the man, watching as the kid stole another few fruits and breads. Clint hid a smile. He knew what it was to be starving on the street. The knocked the second guy out and when shouting alerted them to more people coming, the kid took his and helped him run away. 

That poor kid had two twin sisters he had to feed and shelter because they were barely three years old. Clint’s hear ached and he left all his money with the kids.

Natasha found him a day later at his small hotel room, busted eye and all. Thankfully his eye healed completely.

~*~ Present

“I’ll take you for a drink,” Phil offered after dinner and addressed his fellow Avengers. Tony shook his head right away: “No, thank you.”

Clint raised an eyebrow, surprised, Steve looked proud and Phil replied: “They have good milkshakes.”

Tony’s eyes lit up but he shook his head anyways: “I rather don’t want to take the chance of me and a bar. Thank you Agent Agent for the offer though.”

Phil smiled at the old name and Steve shrugged but nodded in Tony’s direction: “We’ll cover your retreat with your family.”

Clint grinned, patted Steve on the back: “Thanks buddy.”

That was how Clint found himself in the old bar where Phil had told his father he was gay and a gifted fighter. Clint looked around quickly: “Looks like your old buddies aren’t here yet.”

“I hope they won’t come.” Phil replied seriously and looked at the menu and the drinks they had to offer: “I just needed to get out for a moment. My family can be rather exhausting.”

“I noticed. What about Mary, by the way? She seems a bit bipolar at times.” Clint frowned.

Phil toyed with the menu for a second to stall for time and it was such a big tell for a super spy that Clint’s heart clenched in sympathy worry over a little sister: “Yep, I was wondering about that, too.”

“Can I get you anyth- Phil! Oh my god, it’s soooo good to see you! How have you been?” the waitress asked excitedly and focused on Phil. Clint bet she actually wanted to jump Phil’s bones right there. Yep, empathic senses told him that as well.

Phil blinked two times which indicated he was stalling to come up with a name. Clint grinned and rested his chin on his hand, elbow firmly at the table and looked at this scene playing out: “Janine, you look fabulous.”

She beamed at him: “Visiting your family over Thanksgiving? I hope the city treats you well? The last I heard you were kidnapped overseas?”

“Yes but I got lucky and I got out. This is the first time visiting my family after that, actually.” Phil answered and smiled politely. 

She turned to focus on Clint for a moment: “And you must be Mary’s husband?”

Clint blinked surprised to find the conversation turned to him: “Uh, no. No way. Ma’am.” He said after a few seconds.

Janine looked on with a frown before Phil smirked: “He’s my fiancé.”

It was their waitress turn to look at Phil with big eyes and she needed a moment to find her composure: “Congrats, Phil. What can I get you both to drink?”

“Vanilla milkshake, please.” Clint said sweetly.

Phil grinned at Clint fondly: “Chocolate for me, please.”

Janine wrote it down but frowned at them but didn’t mention anything else. She more or less stalked away and Clint muttered: “Makes me glad I don’t have a whole town to go home to.”

Phil sighed: “Yeah. Tell me about it.”

They got back their shakes and enjoyed it for a moment. The silence was easy and Clint smirked at the rather rude thought of Phil about Janine and how not nice she was looking these days but didn’t comment out loud.

“Here they come,” Phil sighed and indicated the door: “I was hoping the whole bunch of jerks wouldn’t come in tonight.”

Clint looked at him with a frown but got his memories of Phil’s childhood and how they had bullied him during school times. Clint balled his fist and smirked at Phil’s other thought about three of them attacking him the last time he was in here.

“There is the gay solider!” someone called out and Clint grinned at Phil: “Gay Solider? Seriously? Should that be your Avenger name?”

“Shut up, Clint.” Phil replied fondly and reached out to grab Clint’s hand across the tabletop: “Just, don’t break any bones if you feel the need to protect me?”

“Aw no, Phil. I love you and I can try but you know me.” Clint smirked: “By the way, did you get my memories of having seen the town before?”

“I did. I saw your Hawk back then, remember? I just was so busy that I barely noticed you.” Phil said with a frown.

Clint noisily drank on his milkshake and sharpened his senses because he could hear someone coming up behind him. He didn’t turn though but Phil withdrew his hand to be ready for an attack. Clint didn’t fault him.

“Didn’t we tell you to stay the hell away from here?” a second guy snarled.

Phil barely sent him a glance: “This is a public place, Jared, you know?”

“A public place where we don’t want to see fags much less accountants that think they’re the best because they work in the city.” A third guy said. Clint frowned when he realized that none of those three were the ones that had originally attacked Phil the last time he was in here.

“Where the hell do they get the accountant thing from?” Clint asked irritated: “Did your family really hate the military that much?”

“You’ve met them. I met Fury in special ops.” Phil replied easily: “He called me Cheese first.”

“Remind me to hit him for that the next time I see him. That name is horrible.” Clint shuddered.

“He did save your life not three months ago. You don’t hit people to say thanks.” 

“I was raised in the circus. What would I know about proper behavior?” Clint took a knife from the table and threw it across the room to where a lonely dartboard was hanging. He hit the bull’s-eye.

The morons, as labeled by Clint, looked at him with a frown but were advancing further when the door opened and Steve strode in. He looked around once, then focused on Phil and Clint, totally oblivious to the stares he was getting and the dead silence had set in.

“Director, Tony and I will be heading off. Is there anything else you need?”

Coulson shook his head: “No, thank you, Steve. Just make sure Tony doesn’t blow up the labs.”

“Promise, Phil.” Steve said and before he left fist-bumped Clint in a familiar gesture: “Hawk.”

“Cap.” Clint replied and watched Steve leave: “I don’t think Big Green will stand Tony when they get back. Not when he’s in scientific mode.”

Phil finished his chocolate shake and sighed: “I think they can manage without us once. Either way, I’m glad to be here in a way but also-“

Clint waited for Phil to finish the sentence but when the other man didn’t, Clint seeped into his mind. /Glad to be away for a few minutes./

The silence around them changed to hushed whispers and Clint looked down at his shirt that was bright purple and clearly Hawkeye now that Steve had come in for everyone who hadn’t been close enough to hear their conversation. 

Well, at least to anyone who wasn’t close enough were told in detail.

“Request to head back?” Clint indicated it with a nod.

Phil got a few bills out and stood: “Gladly.”

The stares that followed them were telling and Clint didn’t need to read minds to know no one would ever again say a word about Phil and being gay because the bigger news was by far that he was dating an Avenger and that Captain America took orders from him.

*


	8. Chapter 8

Clint was following the request of Carl who later in the evening had knocked on Phil and his door: “I wanted to look at your stitches.”

Phil and Clint both had already stripped down and had been sitting on the bed, talking about the Hydra agents and what they had gotten form their thoughts as well as dictated Jarvis their reports about the incident.

Clint had nodded shortly and Carl had touched the skin around Clint’s stitches: “Nothing swollen or red. It looks like there won’t be an infection.”

“Thanks, Carl,” Phil said on behalf of Clint. Carl nodded and looked at both their bodies, trying to hide his curiosity.

“Hanna cornered you, didn’t she?” Clint asked and didn’t even wait for a reply: “Without reading your thoughts, its fine. Go ahead if you want to stay in the good grades with the in laws. I pretty much am too dangerous to ever argue against.”

Carl laughed: “You and Phil. You won’t ever be treated badly again. They will all walk on eggshells around you for at least a year. Or more, depending on other alien invasions.”

Phil settled next to Clint, brushing their shoulders together in silent support. Some of their injuries came with pretty bad times neither wanted to relive.

Carl looked at a few scars from surgeries as well as bullets: “I count seventeen serious and life threatening injuries between the two of you. And those are only the big scars.”

“Damn, that many?” Clint sighed: “I also had a pneumonia that one time they started torturing me and thought it funny to have cold water around.”

“That and your rib that was going through your lung.” Phil said and indicated the matching scar: “That one was more dangerous.”

Carl winced. Clint continued: “I had pretty much every bone in my body broken at one point or another. Well, except the hyoid bone, of course since I am still around, but most of my bones were broken at one point. The bigger ones not all those small bones you have.”

Phil winced and took one of Clint’s hands in his, stroking it carefully: “They broke your fingers once.”

“Thankfully they were stupid enough to realize I was Hawkeye. They started on the left hand since I used that for attacking.” Clint nodded: “Thankfully SHIELD has remarkable surgery teams and I didn’t have lasting effects. Only a few rheumatic pains but-“ Clint stopped: “Huh.”

“They’re gone after the GH325?” Phil asked: “Yeah, me too. My bad knee? Not so hurting anymore even after running a marathon.”

Carl frowned at them and catalogued every small cut: “Your faces are pretty neat for all that torture.”

“See Phil’s nose? That was I, actually. Training accident,” Clint shrugged and placed an apoplectic kiss to said nose.

“What exactly is that GH325?” 

“Yeah, that’s were we pull the classified card.” Phil answered quickly: “If or when it is tested enough and not considered research with a high ninety-percent chance of dying, we’ll consider it for humanity.”

Carl seemed to accept that for the truth: “The torture you mentioned?”

“Pretty much everything but rape.” Clint replied: “It came close, though.”

Phil winced and nodded: “Thankfully Natasha never got caught from someone who intended to hurt her like that.”

“Word.” Clint answered and adjusted his seating on the bed but winced when his stitches pulled: “Have we mentioned we are trained to withhold torture but have our fair share of PTSD?”

“You didn’t but I figured that. Its surprising you haven’t lapsed yet.” Carl nodded: “But I guess that is more Hanna’s department.”

“Yes, but I would never tell her anything.” Phil replied with a shrug: “You can tell her that if you want. Clint and my mental abilities stabilize us. We know when one is in danger of falling into an episode but with thoughts we can avert a situation until we have a chance to talk about it with or without help.”

“Just know you do need to talk about this to someone.”

Carl was leaving them be and Clint frowned, tilted his head and listened to somewhere off in the distance: “Mary is yelling at him. I don’t know what it is but something about her makes me uncomfortable.”

“Yes, me too. And as her brother that is saying quite a lot about her. I’ve tried not to read her but maybe it is important that I do read her mind to know what exactly is going on with her and her hostility towards me.”

“Sarah and Alice will try to convince her you’re awesome, I’m sure of it.” Clint grinned and relaxed back into the pillows: “Sleep now? My adrenaline is crashing and your family is demanding I teach them tomorrow.”

Phil laughed quietly: “Yeah, my nieces can be tough. Ryan is holding up quite okay.”

“But I still think they don’t like me very much though I did save their asses.”

“And for that, I love you.”

*

The next morning brought them down to breakfast. Hanna and Mary were the only ones up yet and Steve and Tony had already left the night before, not wanting to stay longer than necessary though the kids wouldn’t have minded. 

“Morning,” Hanna greeted cheerfully and then sobered up when she realized who they were: “Oh god, honey,” she said and meant Phil: “I never knew you went through so much pain!”

“It’s okay, Mom.” Phil replied and sighed. He looked at Mary, startled, when she had a rather evil thought of how its justified: “Mary, what happened to you?”

The rather innocent question was a loaded one because Clint actually flinched back while Phil looked at Hanna, panicked: “She got brainwashed. That would also explain her strange behavior.”

“What!? No-“ Hanna was there next to her youngest child and made her look at her: “What have you done?!”

“Mom, they’re evil lying bastards. They killed a lot of people.” Mary argued back but Clint was there, asking: “So saving the world from an alien attack was evil to you?

“NO!” Mary replied forcefully and Phil sighed in relieve: “She’s not too far gone and she’s actually fighting the brainwash. I think this is similar to what Bucky must have been through.”

Hanna looked at him with a frown: “Can you fix it”

“Not right away. We also need to know about everything she knows about Hydra first.” Phil said and was already stripping her mind for information. He found the facility they had operated out and they were impressed that Mary had actually met Bucky before. Mary had been taken on the single reason alone that she would have to spy on Phil. After Hydra had been destroyed months ago and after Phil’s death, Mary’s memory wipes had not been done too often so there was hope to regain her memory and her true self. With a lot of work from a shrink.

Their mother.

Clint was already touching his comm and speaking: “Maria? Phil’s sister has been brainwashed by Hydra. We know of one location where they also held Barnes.”

“Did she compromise you or your location?” Hill asked back.

“I wasn’t exactly listening the whole time but Hydra did show up here so I guess that is a yes,” Clint answered while Phil was reading Mary’s mind, sorting through her memories easily and shaking his head at Maria’s question. Clint answered: “Phil says yes. She called to announce Phil was here and alive. We must believe that this is why they attacked us. We do have a few Hydra Agents in custody maybe Phil and I can head over there and find out what they know.”

“I disagree,” Maria said and Skye followed right along: “If you know where Bucky might be or even Hydra, you should check that one out first. They could be gone by the time you get there anyways but we don’t need to take the chance. Those in custody won’t go anywhere anytime soon, AC.”

Phil smiled at the nickname but looked at Clint before nodding: “Good idea, Agent Skye. We’ll be heading over to Hydra now. We’ll bring Lola, please let Banner and Romanoff know about this. I am not too sure of bringing Steve in but we should anyways. Tony will keep him in line.”

Clint laughed at that but shrugged easily when eh got a glare from Phil: “That is actually true. You know?”

Phil looked at Hanna and didn’t show a single emotion but Clint could tell how upset he actually was: “We need to take Mary with us and get her checked through. I hope to be able to undo the damage but we are not sure yet. The procedure that she had to go through must have been extremely hurtful and we still need to find out how they actually approached her and why she was chosen.”

Hanna looked back at him: “Don’t even think I’m going to leave my baby alone! I’ll be coming with you and no matter what you want to say, I’m the best chance you have since I doubt you do have shrinks available that know her better than I do.”

Clint smirked at her: “Oh I like you.” Phil rolled his eyes and touched his shoulder to Clint’s for support. They talked in their heads briefly but it was actually more a one second thought interference before both men moved at once and without another glance at each other.

Clint went up the stairs quickly gathering their things while Phil looked at Mary who was frowning at them but seemed to have gotten the point that something was wrong with her because she didn’t once interfere or talked back at them.

Phil went into the other room and walked over to Carl, stern face and all: “I need to talk to you for a minute.”

Carl nodded and went with Phil back into the hallway, looking at Mary and Hanna there: “What’s wrong?”

“We need to take her to SHIELD and make sure she was not hurt by those men that attacked us yesterday.” Phil tried to be careful with his words: “She seems to have been brainwashed to spy on me and Clint and I will make sure she has not been harmed or won’t ever be harmed again.”

Carl’s eyes grew big: “Say what? How did she-“

“She was seeming to be bipolar to some degree and her mind felt off though I never read her before now. She was hostile towards me and that Hydra knew where to find me was rather strange because I have been believed dead to the agency.” Phil explained.

Carl seemed to be shocked and winced but his training as a doctor obviously helped him deal with stressful situations: “I’ve noticed her changes over the last year but I didn’t think it was about that, just stress with the kids and her job. Hanna, you’ll be going with her?”

“You can count on it. You are welcome to stay here with the kids until we come back. Joe can help you deal with our grandchildren and just relax if you want.” Hanna said and patted his cheek: “Don’t worry. We’ll get her back as good as new.”

They gathered themselves and Hanna was hurrying to grab a bag for herself and quickly get Mary’s few things as well. Phil tried to hurry them along: “You don’t need cloths. We have uniforms you can borrow.”

They got into Lola and quickly put their seatbelts on. The roof was up and Phil let it stay that way. It was way too cold outside.

“Phil, I am sorry.” Mary whispered. Phil wouldn’t have heard her weren’t it for Clint’s ears.

~*~ Past – seventeen years ago

Clint didn’t know how long he had been discharged from the hospital, well, more like run away, after they had made sure he would survive but it was long enough for the circus to have left town and with it left Clint. Thankfully someone was kind enough to bring him his belongings to the hospital where Clint now had at least a few basics.

He tiredly took his jeans and boots, his purple sweater keeping him warm from the cold wind that came in across the lake and he took his backpack with his bow and arrows in it. He had bought the bow from his own money for his show and it was a good bow. He bet it had been their Madam Psychic that had brought him his belongings.

“Hey, kid! You can’t leave yet!” someone, a doctor, called him but Clint didn’t need to turn to know exactly where the man was and that Clint could slip out with a bit of luck.

What he hadn’t counted on was another doctor to walk up in front of him and stop him from leaving. Clint had hissed in pain at his broken arm being touched because pretty much all of the pain meds they had given him had caused him to show hallucinations, severe rashes or flat out allergic reactions.

“I really, really can leave.” Clint replied with a frown: “Ain’t nothing to keep me.”

“You’ve been beaten pretty badly and its really cold outside. You need to stay a few more days.” The doctor said but Clint only narrowed his eyes: “So you can’t give me pain meds and prod me with needles to know why I’m reacting badly to pretty much all your medicine?”

The doctor was frowning at him and Clint sighed: “I don’t know my social security number. I don’t even know how I got here.”

The doctor looked at the other one that had previously called out: “Just stay another night.”

Clint sighed in resignation before staying another night. Not a whole night because he slipped out in the crack of dawn and headed to the markets where he could steal some food.

He knew that without any money at his disposal, he was bound to end up on the streets and eventually dead. He needed to find a job somehow but didn’t quite know how. Maybe stealing some money from the mafia would do and Clint made plans to find out where the local bad guys were hiding.

It took him three weeks to figure out a plan and get the information needed and it was in that time that he realized how hard it was to survive on the streets with no money. He stole a few wallets to get the food he needed but it was barely a way to get by. His muscles wanted a lot of energy to be maintained and to keep his physique it was necessary not to skip meals. He never had much fat to begin with and the cold was making it hard for him.

He hadn’t meant to kill. It was more like the opportunity had come up a few days after he had made the plan to set out to rob the Mafia. Someone else had been spying on the guy and offered him a lot of cash for a hit.

Clint had taken it. He had done his homework and knew the man he was about to take down had done far more than killing in his work and Clint found he could live with it.

On and off, the next few years were spent like this until he met Barney again, together with Trick and together they started to be unstoppable for a while.

* Past – eleven years ago

Clint was nervous, going up and down, pacing the floor of the hallway. He could hear Phil watching TV while also scribbling something on a piece of paper.

Since first joining SHIELD a year ago, Clint had gotten special treatment from Phil. Phil had done his homework about him, knew about his years at the circus, his near death, his years on the street. 

Clint knew most martial arts rituals; he knew the basics of school since he had also been taught how to write and read but nothing else. Phil had helped him catching up on the most important facts and knowledge, the workings behind SHIELD, assessed how smart, logical and practical Clint could think in a dangerous situation and basically rushed his assessments along. Shooting paper targets was the first Clint had passed, half an hour after first going onto the shooting range. Clint didn’t need much physical education in fighting since he beat Sitwell easily enough that Fury had come down to watch the fight. 

After that Phil had ordered everyone out and had gone around with Clint as well, Fury, Sitwell and Hill the only ones present to assess. Sooner than the year was up, Clint had been sent on his first mission with Phil and cleared as level one.

That had been a day before. Clint knew he needed to tell Phil about the downside of being a super smart agent that could see for miles. He needed to tell Phil about the stolen papers from that anthropologist that had written that book.

Clint rubbed a hand over his hair, flattening it after having spiked it just before. He cursed silently and his head snapped up. Phil knew someone was there. He had cocked the gun and the floor creaked under his steps.

“Phil, it’s me, Clint.” He said loudly and Phil clicked the safety back on. The door lock clicked and the door opened: “What are you doing here?”

“Uh,” Clint rubbed his head again: “Can- Can I come in, Sir?” Clint asked hesitantly and nervously.

Phil took one look at him and let him enter: “If this is how you operate on an op as a spy, we have a lot of work to do.”

Clint flinched a bit and patted his own back, indicating Phil where his gun was. Phil barely nodded and pocketed his gun: “What do you want to talk about?”

“It’s rather hard to grasp but it is an explanation why I was able to pull off a few of those things.” Clint said and then frowned: “How many cats does your neighbor have? I can hear seven, at least. She’s rather an old cat lady, right?”

Phil frowned: “How do you know that? She barely leaves the house and those cats are never outside.”

“That’s where it gets complicated. Back on the roof, when you asked me to join SHIELD, I already made the decision based on the fact that your heartbeat never wavered when you talked to me. You never lied. Others have. Sitwell did. Hill not once. I can smell your breakfast from this morning, I can probably trace every scratch on your desk at work.”

“How-“

“It’s called a Sentinel. I have five enhanced senses. Maybe even a sixth because I think sometimes I get too emotional over something that clearly is not my feeling. That or I’m bipolar.”

Phil smiled a second and then nodded: “Anything else?”

“Uh yeah, there’s an old sock under your couch that smells like Sitwell’s bad protein shake.” Clint wrinkles his nose.

“That was the training exercise last month.”

“Whatever, its there.” Clint shrugged: “If I continue to be a field agent, you need to know about this ability. It comes with a downside.”

Phil then indicated the couch and Clint sat down next to him: “What is the downside of this?”

“It’s only happened once that I zoned.”

“Zoned?” Phil asked and paid him close attention.

Clint shrugged: “The thing with my senses is rather complex. Usually you hear a bang and turn your head to look at it. That’s the same with me but the bang is so loud sometimes, that I can’t look, be blinded by a flash or hurt so much that a paper cut. There is no manual for this. When I focus on a sense too much, I can fall into a sort of frozen moment. A sense will split into the greatest detail possible and the detail will be too amazing for my mind to process and I will just, zone.”

“When I shot you?” Phil asked and Clint got the hurt and worry from Phil’s mental state. 

Clint nodded: “The pain was too much.”

“I’m sorry.” Phil said: “So how can I help you?”

“You can talk to me. Distract me with other senses. We could train a few extremes to prepare me better. There is no guarantee that I’ll always be clear focused though.” Clint said: “I have some papers and a book it you want to read about it? Some guy did a field study on someone like me and wrote it down as his dissertation but for fear of his friendship he claimed he was a fraud. He’s a detective now.”

“I’d like to run some tests with you and also make sure nothing else effects you.”

“Yeah, like pain meds and coffee?” Clint asked sheepishly: “We got that.”

Phil sighed: “Exactly.” 

~*~Present

Lola was slowly descending at the Avenger’s Tower where Maria and Bruce were already waiting. Phil got out right away and Clint helped Hanna while Maria was next to Phil and looked at him with big eyes: “What’s going to happen?”

“We will see how much damage they did to you. Clint and I will then search your mind try to get secrets from you more than we already did. We will also try to repair the damage.” Phil explained shortly.

It was Hanna who asked: “How do you want to repair her mind?”

“We did mention the mental abilities.” Clint said deadpan and looked at Bruce: “Any news? Because I get that feeling.”

Bruce adjusted his glasses before looking at Phil then back at Clint: “I had to ask Maria for clearance and she gave it to me, not that I needed it since the files are all online but both of your were in the Iran at one point and exposed to radiation levels that damaged your cells so much that the doctors mentioned to be carefully if you ever panned to have children?”

Hanna gasped out loud and stifled a scream behind a hand. Mary’s breath hitched. Phil nodded calmly: “What did you find out, Bruce?”

“Skye never had any radiation levels that high, so when Jemma and I did the initial tests, we didn’t know to look for radiation but a lab incident two days ago with, uh, the big guy, revealed a relation between GH325 and gamma radiation.”

Clint frowned: “Are you trying to tell us that the radiation levels we were poisoned with are gone now?”

“Yes, completely gone. The other factor is, those gamma levels acted as a catalyst for the GH325 and formed the synopses in your brain to the abilities you now have. I have the folders of the original test subjects that have gone mad and realized that no one of them had radiation levels above a certain point.”

“Skye doesn’t have those.” Clint pointed out.

Bruce nodded: “We are in the clear on that. The problems started half a year later and we poisoned Skye with a dose of radiation. Her body absorbed it easily but she has not developed any abilities but is save from any mental side effects.”

“Whew, quite a lot of research for a day,” Clint commented: “Sure the radiation is the factor there?”

“It was the only common element. We’re happy we caught it. We now administer the radiation with the serum. Tony has gone ahead this morning.” Bruce reported: “I was rather surprised but Jarvis assured me you both went to talk to them.”

“We did. Bruce, the same for you and Betty,” Clint whispered when he passed the man in the elevator. Bruce’ eyes widened and he whispered loud enough for only Clint: “How did you know?”

Clint tipped his nose a bit and then indicated a bond between their heads. Bruce barely nodded.

They went down to the labs right away and Hanna never left Clint’s side while Mary dutifully followed Phil: “Do you think this will be easy?”

Phil shook his head and patted Mary’s shoulder not saying anything but comforting his sister. He worried and asked himself whether he could have avoided this.

Clint shot him a knowing look.

*

Mary was administered a sedative and strapped on a chair for security measures. Clint settled next to Phil while Hanna was on the other side of Mary and held her hand. Tony was there with them to work the scanners and Bruce tinkered with a few adjustments somewhere: “The last time we did the tests of your mental connection, we recorded EMF between you. Maybe you also do that with Mary here. “

“Jarvis will monitor the brain activities and all that,” Tony replied: “Also, Agent, there is something you should get from my thoughts.”

Phil frowned a second and seeped into the mind of Tony. He only took the surface and backpedaled when in turn he got Tony’s link with technology. Tony was using EMF to connect with the machinery like they had first thought of Skye. This was remarkable and the new connection with Jarvis was already in place.

Clint whistled next to them: “Impressive. Maybe we can feed Mary’s process to Jarvis and all that?”

“That would mean I need to multitask between Tony’s mind and Mary’s.” Phil replied with a frown and Clint felt the unhappiness. Clint shrugged: “I didn’t much practice but I’m sure I can also pull it off. Our bond takes no effort to maintain and from there I feed it to Tony.”

Phil started to seep into Mary’s mind then and drew out the location where she had been. He realized with horror that they had blocked some of Mary’s memories of their childhood. Phil may have been away on deployment when Mary was in her teens but when he had come home; they had had a close relationship. Those memories had been altered, twisted. His parents never had liked his job and the secrecy was used. They always bullied Phil later on and Hydra had used that. 

Furthermore, Mary had seen Bucky. Twice. Frozen in his chamber and about to go into the chair. The second time was walking across each other in a hallway but Mary had no conscious memory of this. Phil analyzed the thoughts and looked at his mother, drawing into her mind for the knowledge of a shrink to speed up Mary’s recovery.

Clint was keeping up and forcing his bond to accept Phil’s thoughts and push them at Tony. It was more effort than reading by far and before too long Clint had to stop. Tony’s Technopathy was helping them drawing maps and grids of Hydra bases and get an idea of what Bucky had been through.

Phil patched a few things over and hid a few things from Mary’s consciousness deep enough that she would never ever again have to live with the torture and fear Hydra had placed in him. 

Steve was steadying Phil by the time they were done and Hanna was still focusing her attention to the hologram table that Jarvis had projected the input Tony had given him. The AI would be changing due to Tony’s new ability to interact with all technology and it would be amazing.

Tony cleared his throat: “Well, I can safely say that between us three, we will be able to help Bucky. Given that he wants to come back to the good side.”

“How are you, Mary?” Hanna asked her daughter and moved a loose strand of Mary’s hair out of her face. Mary looked at them with clear eyes and frowned: “I seem to know Phil hid some memories from me to protect me. It’s okay to have lost those. Phil straightened a few memories and though not everything is all good, I think its fine. I remember everything but a few events that Phil left me the knowledge of. I know I was tortured but my big brother always the protector made it so that I can live without the details.”

Mary seemed to be still a bit confused but Clint thought that was to be expected after such an intense manipulation: “Next time we do this, we need to have another psychologist with us to know how to help yet again.” Clint sighed: “It was really helpful to have you here, Hanna.”

Hanna frowned at Clint but when she turned to Phil, she found that her son was incapable of doing much but closing his eyes and taking deep breaths: “I don’t quite think I fully understand your bond with my son, Clint.”

Clint smirked and took her hand but he tilted his head to look at Phil who barely nodded with his eyes still closed and Steve pressing a glass of water into his hand. He focused on Hanna and gave her first, a feeling of the whole building: “That’s how everyone here feels to me.” She pressed her lips firmly together. Clint continued: “This is how Phil makes me feel the emotions.” She sighed in relieve and Clint showed her an inkling of the bond between Phil and him, the talking, the thinking the same thoughts, everything but not in detail: “This is our bond.”

Hanna looked at both of them with big eyes and gripped Clint’s fingers tightly: “Thank you for showing me this. It is remarkable how much you are synchronized together. In my line of work, I did research on partner behavior and that people who live together for a long time show the same traits. You are remarkable.”

Clint smirked and shrugged helplessly. Phil answered: “Mom, what he showed you was not even five percent of the whole impact of our connection.”

Surprised, Hanna nodded seriously and turned back to Mary: “How about we find a room and take some rest?”

“Good idea, Mom.” Mary replied and with a thankful loud thought thanked Phil. 

“And off we go to plan on finding Bucky.” Tony said, patting Steve on the chest: “We need to get your best friend back after all.”

~*~Past – seventeen years ago

Clint had enough money after his one gig to get him a room for the night. Maybe even with enough water pressure to wash away the grime that he felt all over his body. He shuddered and hurried past a street where he saw a young woman walking down. He frowned because everyone knew to avoid these streets up here.

He decided to stop in his tracks and wait a few moments, just looking at the woman and taking care that no one attacked her.

It was like someone was reading his thoughts because not a few seconds later, two men were coming out in front of her and on her backside, cornering her and though Clint was pretty far away, he could hear those men crystal clear: “A nice girl like you, walking down the street all alone…it looks like you’re just there for grabs.”

The young woman was pretty composed though she was threatened but Clint knew that kind of person enough to know they would not give up. The first man touched her and she hit him square in the mouth but it was not enough to keep the man behind her off of her. She screamed and Clint drew his arrow, his bow always accessible and got the first man that held her down. Not two seconds later, the other man followed the first. Clint never missed his spots and though he aimed to hurt, not kill. He wanted them to remember things and if he was right, and he always was, their arteries had been hit. Unless they pulled the arrows back out, they would live.

“I would run to a hospital,” he called out while walking closer: “and don’t pull the arrows out. You’ll bleed to death otherwise and know that if I ever catch you again, you’ll be dead.”

The two men weren’t able to walk away so Clint went in between them, grabbed the girl’s hand and gently tugged her alone back out of the alley and into the light: “You alright?”

She sniffled: “Yes, I am, thank you!” she said and looked him in the eye: “How could I ever repay you?”

Clint shrugged uneasy: “Aww, girl, no. You don’t-“

“Can I do anything for you?”

Clint shook his head and was about to walk away when she touched his shoulder: “A place to stay for a night?”

“No!” Clint said: “No, I, uh,…no.” he then focused on her bag of her university: “What are you studying?”

She sniffled again: “Physics and math.”

Clint’s eyes grew big: “Oh wow…uh,…I never even finished school.”

“How about I tutor you in physics? You are amazing in shooting your arrows but how about to know why they go the way they do?” she offered: “At a diner and I’ll pay for the food.”

“No, I can’t-“ Clint replied again.

“You can. My parents are ridiculous rich and I could need the practice in basics.” She smiled: “My name is Clara,” she offered.

“Barton.” He replied and nodded.

“Tomorrow at six, I’ll be at the diner three blocks from here, the Blue Royal.”

Clint nodded and walked away.

He loved physics and the math to calculate his arrows eventually came easily.

* Past – nine years ago

Phil rubbed a hand over his eyes tiredly and took a deep breath: “Clint, this was dangerous. She could have killed you.”

“Nah, that’s Natasha. She taught me a few things when we crossed paths before.” Clint said easily: “I was working for this one rich guy, trying to take out a Russian guy when I met her. She was on the same op. We decided to team up and got the op done. It took us a week and we parted ways. She knew I was there, Phil. I couldn’t kill her.”

“And you couldn’t have told me that before? Barton, you can talk to me. You can tell me these things! I know that you’ve had different handlers recently and I’m sorry that I was out of commission for a while but broken legs tend to take time in healing.”

“It’s not that. I was sure you were against her because you couldn’t trust her. Please trust me on this. She will become as loyal as I am to you.”

Coulson’s sharp mind didn’t miss the part that Natasha would be loyal to him. Not SHIELD. Clint knew Phil was smart enough to read between the lines and make out that Natasha would also come to respect others after a certain time with SHIELD. Maybe even trust Fury though Phil had a hard time trusting the other man and he had served with him in the rangers. That was saying a lot but Phil got that Fury had to keep a few secrets every now and them. Didn’t mean he had to like them.

“Want some coffee?” Phil asked after a while and Clint nodded: “It’s getting late and I do need to get back to my place.”

“You could stay, you know?” Phil offered and started to fix them some good coffee: “I also think we should maybe invite Natasha to relax with us sometimes. Get her to trust me.”

“She’s not one to come here willingly. She will come in her own time when she knows we meet for dinners and sometimes debrief here. The Black Widow thinks personal ties are a weakness so she most likely won’t start a friendship at first.”

Phil nodded: “The connections in basics should be enough then. She will be going through assessment and basic training in some areas and we will make sure she knows she doesn’t have to do ops she doesn’t want.”

Barton smiled: “That’s the way to gain her trust.”

~*~ Present

No matter how much Phil tried to argue, Steve wanted to go in first. The complex was laid out in front of them and Clint was already eyes up high for the team. Phil indicated Steve to be quiet already and Steve frowned at Phil but Phil indicated Clint and Steve seemed to realize that Clint was scanning the building with his senses for anyone in there.

Clint didn’t have to move from his spot or nod because Phil was already giving the orders for Steve to go in. Tony was hot on his heals while Natasha provided backup for Bruce who was walking in normally but if the need arose, he would be on hand.

Phil stayed behind Clint on the rooftop and checked the area.

The warehouse was empty. Clint hadn’t found a sound in it but that could also indicate that there was a secret basement somewhere hidden that they had not yet discovered.

“There is nothing here,” Tony’s voice broke through the comm and Clint was already standing up. Phil knew what he wanted to do and sighed: “Iron Man, please swap with Hawkeye and me. He thinks he might be able to sense hidden doors.”

“I’ll be right outside.” Tony followed suit, which showed how much he liked Steve to not reply and mess this op up. With Iron Man providing their cover, Clint was already moving, Phil hot on his heels and nearly cursing at Clint’s speed when the younger man slowed down again and smiled at him apoplectic. 

*


	9. Chapter 9

By the time Phil made it inside, there was of course a hidden door. What else could there possibly be? And Phil found it quickly enough after having walked the room a single time. Clint had known something was up but had let Phil run the show. Phil had knocked on two places on a wall before the door had simply opened. The door slid inside and sideways away to let them enter.

Clint and Steve went in first, Natasha and Phil backing them up while the others stayed behind for the time being. The hallway was dimly lit but short and lead to another room. The room was easily as big as the first one and had a strange looking chair with fixings on the armrests and a machine on the head. The whole room was lit in a greenish light.

Natasha winced and reached out to Clint and gripped his hand tightly: “The Red Room had those.”

Steve frowned and turned around: “Are you okay in here?”

“Yes.” She answered and seemed to steel herself with also never taking his hand away from Clint.

“We found something similar in the debris of the SHIELD HQ in Washington,” Hill said through the comms and frowned: “We always believed Pierce had the Winter Solider brainwashed and similar close to base.”

Natasha nodded and looked at Steve again who cursed and was about to hit the chair when Phil stepped between them: “Stop, we might need something from this. Maybe they have a memory copy from his brain before and after. Like in case something goes wrong, to get his original design back?”

Bruce stepped forward then and looked at a few things before frowning and shaking his head: “I could need Iron Man and the Tech Twins for sure. Or we pack it up and fly it back home.”

Phil nodded: “Since I did my job and found the hidden room, maybe we should swap with Tony again.”

“I’ll go alone.” Clint said: “You stay here and get me but I’ll make sure no one will come close.”

Phil nodded and looked at a few more things within a few boxes that held some paperwork. This looked rather promising: “Widow, please come and take a look at this. Your Russian is better than mine.”

Natasha stepped close to Phil and leaved through the folders: “They are adding up to the one my old connections to the KGB had. Captain America should still have them.”

“I did leave them at home.” Steve commented: “If we need them right away someone should retrieve them.”

“No need. Those are better and more detailed.” Natasha said after another short moment when Tony busted into the room with a box where they could store a few items.

“Do we need the big guy?” Bruce asked carefully and looked at the equipment. Steve shook his head: “I believe Iron Man just needs to make the trip twice. I can carry a few boxes but that’s about it.”

“The heavy lifting will be done by me, as always.” Tony said but touched his metal arm to Steve’s shoulder comfortingly.

A few moments later, a few of Tony’s tech inventions approached flying into the room and attached themselves to the boxes and equipment, flying it back out. Phil looked at Natasha and together they made their way back out, Bruce following carefully and looking around, looking for more hints they could use.

“There’s movement outside,” Clint commented over the comms: “Maybe Steve could come out here to provide help if it is Bucky?”

“Why, you think it is?”

“I hear metal and flesh moving,” Clint answered: “I think so, yes.”

It didn’t take Steve all that long to reach the topside again and glanced in Clint’s direction. Natasha was right behind him, given her history with Barnes in the Red Room.

Clint was already readying his bow, Steve looking at him quickly to check where Bucky was likely coming from when Clint caught sight of the metal glinting and reflecting the light.

Behind them, the first equipment flew out on its own, heading into the general direction of the Avengers Tower. Tony as a technopath would likely figure it out quickly enough. If Bucky would play along.

Phil walked out of the complex with Bruce, more or less hiding behind the other man in case an ambush was about to happen. Tony flew out, checking their surroundings but vanishing in the same direction Phil and Bruce went to, only that Phil came looping back around to Clint’s perch.

“Bucky?”

“About to reach Steve and Natasha’s visual,” Clint replied: “That is if he is as enhanced as Steve and Nat.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it. He is after all, close to Steve’s age,” Phil replied.

They watched the scene unfold in front of them. Bucky came striding towards them, then blinked at Natasha and Steve before hesitating, slowing down in his steps and looking at both: “I remember you.”

“Bucky?” Steve asked hesitated due to having been attacked by the other man not half an hour before. Steve stepped towards the other man nonetheless, not showing his emotions or fear. Natasha next to him stood her ground, not saying anything just yet. Her own memories probably more defuse than normal.

“Steven?” the other man replied shakily, then turned to look at Natasha: “I remember meeting you but I’m not sure I remember your name.”

“They probably changed it after we met,” she replied: “Меня зоьут Наталья Романоьа.“ (My name is Natalia Romanova.)

“Natasha?” Bucky asked with a frown: “I think I remember you.”

“We can help you regain part of your memory, if you’d like,” Natasha said carefully: “We have taken the device they used to wipe your memory because we think your original memories are on there.”

“More treatments?” the man asked, frowning hard at both Avengers.

Steve shook his head: “Not necessarily. One of our friend’s sister was treated with that machine and a telepath altered her memories to the original state. You would be disoriented for a short while after but it would not hurt you.”

Bucky seemed to hesitate quite a while: “My instinct tells me I can trust you.”

“You can leave whenever you want, I promise,” Steve said: “We grew up together, Bucky.”

Bucky nodded once but didn’t comment on it. Natasha looked around and at Clint: “Clint, get the jet.”

Sharp eyes of Bucky focused on both Phil and Clint now, Clint waving amicable before heading off with Coulson. He could also hear Natasha, Steve and Bucky make their way towards their landing space.

Starting the engines, Clint rose into the air when Natasha came, pointedly ignoring Bruce, sitting in a corner and looking at Barnes warily.

“Dr Bruce Banner, this is James, Buchanan Barnes, Bucky, the Hulk,” Steve introduced them before looking at Clint: “Hawkeye aka Clint Barton and our Director Phil Coulson.”

“You are taking me to the Avengers Tower?” Bucky asked quickly: “Iron Man?”

“Yes, we have teams there that would check you over physically and mentally, if you allow to do so. We furthermore would assess you mentally and try to regain your memories. After that you are at liberty to leave as you wish or stay until you have settled down a bit further and decided what to do with your life,” Phil said easily, striding up in front of him: “Furthermore, I am the telepath you’ve heard about but I try very hard to stay out of anyone’s heads as it is none of my business.”

Bucky stared at him and shrugged a bit, his metal arm being hindered somehow.

“Your arm?” Banner asked quickly: “I noticed you holding it stiffly.”

“Damaged,” Bucky replied: “For a while now.”

“Tony will be able to fix that,” Steve said quickly: “Don’t worry, he might even upgrade it.”

“Upgrade?”

“Finer movements and more silent,” Clint provided from the front seat: “I can hear its mechanical movements and they grind into another. No fun, really.”

Bucky nodded and warily assessed the whole situation he was in. Phil mentally monitored the other man to know if something was bothering the man.  
Landing on top of the Avengers Tower was easily and together they made their way inside, gathering stares from various close friends from both teams.

Fitz, Simmons and Skye were close by right away and Bucky looked behind them into their lab where the whole equipment was being stored, along with Tony who was already hooking up the chair and running diagnostics.

“This is where you will restore my memory?” the man asked with a frown.

Clint watched Natasha pace. He knew there was something she wasn’t telling them about their past and Clint could guess what that was. Bucky not remembering more clearly about Natasha was a point not to react now, though.

Phil caught on to his thoughts and they briefly dived into Natasha’s surface but Phil soon found out that her memories weren’t as crystal clear as they should be, given that they had been in love.

Tony walked towards them: “We can start anytime you’re ready, Phil.”

“Good. This will be more complicated than with Mary and it makes me glad we had her as a test run,” Phil admitted: “Tony, I need the information you have and plug it from your mind, Natasha, any and all memories you can provide, please push them to the forefront. Therapy will be applied as well given that I remember my Mother’s tactics.”

“My memories?” Steve asked carefully: “Can those help?”

“Of course, Steve, yours are most important since you give Mr Barnes the background and childhood.”

“You really knew me ninety plus years ago?” the man frowned.

“I did,” Steve nodded and Tony stepped closer but it was Jemma and Fitz that spoke:

“We could take a look at your arm, Sir, if you want any improvements, we’re both engineers and biochemists,” Jemma said politely but couldn’t fully hide her giddiness over the gadget.

Bucky looked around him and shook his head: “Maybe not right now.”

“Of course,” Jemma nodded in agreement: “We would require you to take it off and given the mental treatment you will need to go through, you need the physical protection if needed.”

Bucky looked at her in surprise but didn’t comment on it.

All in all, restoring a man’s memories was harder than they could have forethought. Phil and Clint both made a break after restoring Bucky’s childhood and the bits and pieces they had from Natasha. Currently trying more was not doable due to exhaustion.

They could see Bucky was visibly confused but the man was too set into gaining his memories back as to give up then. Heading for a restful night was the best option they had.

*

The next day found them all being back in the same lab, Bucky more coherent now than before.

Clint was perched on one of the lab tables, dangling his feet and waiting for all the others to appear one after another. Jemma was currently checking Bucky through in the health department, as did Banner. They frowned a couple of times but finally agreed.

“The Red Room told Natasha that they had required to place him into cryostasis due to the age process, correct?” Banner asked and got a nod from Natasha: “Sadly, I cannot detect him affecting age at all. The serum took as much as it did with Steve. They didn’t realize it though because they were looking for the wrong markers. Those markers found in James and Natasha are similar to those of the GH325, also meaning that they experimented with the substances even back then.”

“So basically I could be close to ninety years old as well, I just might not remember?” Natasha asked surprised.

“Yes, sadly, we cannot use carbon dating for you either since that would have been altered as well. Just that you were exposed to radiation or else the GH325 wouldn’t have stuck.”

“That means in turn I was exposed as well?” Bucky asked: “That could have happened when Red Scull had me?”

“Yes, that’s what we figured,” Jemma added: “Otherwise it wouldn’t have altered your aging process.”

Clint was following the whole proceedings and gladly accepted a mug of coffee when Phil handed him one. He looked around one after another and when it became clear that the scientists didn’t have anything to add, he addressed Barnes: “You good to proceed?”

“Yes, I’m feeling more like myself, if that means anything,” he smiled a bit which was a first for the usual very grim looking Winter Solider. Natasha smiled tentatively as well, glad that the other man showed a reaction. Though barely interacting with Bucky alone for now, she seemed to have an interest in him that Clint only knew too well. It hadn’t happened before that Natasha was showing feelings for someone but this clearly fell into the category.

Working the second stretch in repairing Bucky’s memories, Phil actually found some memories that Bucky remembered suddenly. They were from Steve and Natasha, something both Avengers hadn’t quite remembered. It was something private and worth having so Phil quickly in a turnaround way passed the memory to Natasha for her to remember something new.

It was amazing how the brain worked. Tony was monitoring their process and when Phil reached into a memory cluster, a whole network showed up that Bucky remembered by himself. The old pathways emerging quickly and as if they hadn’t been purged. It was something to keep in mind if Phil wanted to help Natasha.

Clint’s ears suddenly picked up on some activity outside their rather silent lab. They were all tensed to see the results and Clint’s attention being drawn away was unusual. He turned his head and focused, startling to hear Thor intercepting a blond woman that spoke agitatedly: “I have information for Director Coulson. I am undercover with Hydra.”

“Your name, noble woman?” Thor asked her with a look at Jane and Maria.

“Bobbi Morse,” she replied and from the sidelines May came walking up to them, greeting the blond woman with a smile: “Mockingbird.”

“Cavalry,” she replied with a smile and Thor relaxed a fraction, since May knew the woman.

Maria spoke up: “Ah, you’re Mockingbird. Sorry, Fury kept it under wraps what you looked like due to our circumstances.”

“That’s okay, AD Hill,” Bobbi replied: “Can I speak with the Director?”

“He is currently working on the memories of a former Hydra Agent,” Hill replied.

By now, Clint’s focus on the commotion outside had also reached Phil and Phil took a break from ordering Bucky’s thoughts. The man sighed in relief but also in resignation that his full memories weren’t up to date yet.

“Clint?”

“Bobbi Morse, Mockingbird, Agent of SHIELD,” Clint answered: “Here because she has some information on Hydra.”

Bucky nodded: “Get her information, they’ll be newer than mine.”

“What happened to you anyways after you dragged me out the river?” Steve asked curiously.

“I went to see who I am. You gave me my name so I went to the museum and public records to see what I could find out. After a while I stopped thinking my memories would return on their own and I headed for the places I could remember. There I found you.”

Natasha handed James a glass of water, settling down next to him to keep him company while Clint and Phil headed outside for Bobbi: “Agent Morse.”

“Director,” she nodded and briefly looked at Clint but shrugged anything she wanted to say aside: “I found a compound where Strucke works on two teenagers. Possibly Mutants, given that they use some skills like high speed and telekinesis.”

“Do we need to rescue them?”

“From being brainwashed? No. From being experimented on? Yes.”

“Your plan of action?” Clint asked her. She was a competent agent after all and she had scouted the compound.

“Taking the Avengers and Agent May for attack right away. They are currently building bombs and planes along with not treating the Twins well. They also are currently planning an attack on somewhere and are busy with preparations so they will be more distracted.”

“We also should take Sam Wilson and Sharon Carter,” Maria suggested: “They need the practice.”

“Clint and I will be the eyes and ears and tactical,” Phil agreed: “Bucky Barnes?”

“Should be included,” Clint said immediately: “He will follow Steve and Natasha probably anywhere. And it will be better for the team later on when he joins.”

“Good, we’ll give him the chance to accompany us,” Phil said easily: “Thankfully it seems my abilities are not as strenuous anymore so we can go right ahead with the task.”

They all returned into the lab where Bucky was still sitting in the chair with all the others around and they held the briefing after Sharon and Sam had arrived in their small but crowded lab.

Thankfully the location wasn’t too far away and they made good time in the also crowded Quinjet. Clint was flying, Barnes standing behind him on the controls and looking at Natasha every now and then.

Parking the jet a few ways off, they slowly surrounded the compound, Thor and Sam Wilson were approaching from one direction, Clint and Phil took a spot up higher, Natasha and Bucky came from another way while Steve and Sharon and May and Bobbi used a small tunnel system into the complex. Iron Man was covering them from above while Bruce stayed clear so far.

Once again, it was nearly a cakewalk into the unsuspecting enemy.

Rescuing the Twins, Wanda and Pietro, was pretty easy and both were rather disturbed after sitting in a cell for too long and hurried after the others to reach the outside. Since they were in need for care, medical and mental and some food. And sunlight.

Clint mentally checked the two over and nodded in satisfaction that they could help them back on their feet and part ways with them if they wished to attend Xavier’s school. Which would be the best but who knew what they wanted. Clint wasn’t about to assume.

Having a slightly similar or relatable background helped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it for now. Thanks for sticking around so far and please leave a comment.


End file.
